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Pecan jumped from her horse and grabbed Poppy’s cradleboard from the travois bed. Dream Keeper woke with a startle and tried to scramble to the ground, but Winona sensed that something was wrong, and she held onto him tightly. Pecan placed the cradleboard on the ground and rushed to Blue Bird, taking a stick he had been dragging behind his pony for several miles. White Eagle could see that Paints-With-Words was galloping forward as quickly as she could. She leapt from her father’s horse with a knife waving in her hand. White Eagle comprehended little from the front of the trail, but he could see that Paints’ face looked aghast. Then, they both appeared to be attacking the child, Paints’ blade slashing wildly and Pecan's stick hitting repeatedly while the baby cried out with a frantic shriek. When White Eagle galloped back, he saw the venomous snake on the ground in three pieces. Pecan was on her knees, striking the lifeless head. |