Ezra had caught a hawntoe for him a few days ago, but it had mysteriously disappeared out of the wagon.

Buddy did not connect his mother's lack of enthusiasm with the disappearance.

Her sympathy with his loss had seemed to him real, and he wanted another, fully believing that in this also mother would be pleased.

So he took after this particular HAWN-toe, that crawled into various hiding places only to be spied and routed out with small rocks and a sharp stick.
The dry wash remained shallow, and after a while Buddy, still in hot pursuit of the horned toad, emerged upon the level where the herd had passed.

The wagon was nowhere in sight, but this did not disturb Buddy.
He was not lost.