ians stole stealthily from their
prairie cover like Coyotes, and followed Eagle Shoe.

"Ah!" muttered Shag, as he and A'tim went forward slowly, "I
know. This Indian has the cunning of a whole Wolf-Pack; is that
not so, Brother? King Animals!" he exclaimed, in a great voice
like the low of the wind coming through a mountain gorge; "is
that not the Herd yonder, clear-eyed Dog-Wolf?"

"By the chance of meat, it is--a mighty Herd, Shag; such a Herd
as the Caribou make in the Northland when they mate."

"Now the Buffalo see Eagle Shoe," continued Shag; "but they have
no wisdom; they but see some one thing that has life. Perhaps
they will even say: 'It is only old Shag, the Outcast; let us
feed in peace.' Their eyes are the eyes of Calves, and their
noses tell them nothing, for the hunt Man is down Wind, is he
not, A'tim?"

"Surely, Brother; even a _moneas_, a green hunter of a Paleface,
would know better than to send the flavor of his presence on the
Wind's back."

"Yes, even so," continued Shag. "See how gently he moves toward
them. Danger! One Bull's head is up; he has discovered that it is
not a Buffalo; now he has whispered to the others, for they are
moving slowly. Thou hast spoken truth, A'tim--a strange thing for
a Dog-Wolf, too," he muttered to himself--"it _will_ be a mighty
Kill. How slowly the Herd moves; they are not afraid of the one
animal, whatever it is--one, did I say, A'tim? Look you, Brother,
for you have the Wolf-eyes: are there not three now--three Kill
drivers?"

"Yes, three Indians," answered the Dog-Wolf. "The same old Hunt.
I've watched it many a time from behind the runners; I know every
trick of these slayers. Now the Run surely begins; let us close
up, Shag, for the hunters will have no eyes for such as us; their
hearts are full of the killing of many Buffalo. Also, there will
be much meat warm to a cold stomach to-night;" and he licked his
chops greedily.

"I don't like it," muttered Shag; "the Palefaces, with their
many-breathed Fire-sticks, have killed my people, and have driven
them up from the South, and now they are gathered together in a
few mighty Herds such as this. The Redmen, who have not these
Fire-sticks, but have the cunning of Wolves, see all this, and
say they too must slay a whole Herd, where before they killed but
two or three. We'll soon be all gone--we, who are the meat food
of these Redmen, we'll soon be all gone, and then what will they
do, A'tim? Will they kill