each other, as your people do when the
famine gets into their hearts? Or will they just lie down and
die, as my people do when the White Storm blots out all the grass
food?"

"I do not know, Great Bull," answered A'tim. "To-night I shall be
full of much meat, perhaps even to-morrow; after that I know not
what may come with the warm trail of the sun."

The Outcasts saw the two Indians ride into the eye of the Wind
that blew up from the South across the Herd. As a sudden squall
ripples a smooth lake, so the scent of the Redmen carried by the
prairie breeze stirred the sea of brown-backed Buffalo.

"Now they will stampede," quoth Shag, eying this man[oe]uver with
heavy intentness.

"Yes," answered A'tim, "and Eagle Shoe will lead your brethren to
their destruction. We will wait here till they have passed, then
we will follow."

"Yonder is one of the bush wings leading to the slaughter-pen,
the Stone Hill Corral," cried Shag; "and on the far side will be
another, though we can't see it yet."

"Yes," concurred A'tim, "I see it; they'll come closer and closer
together, these two run of bushes, and at the far end there will
be but a narrow trail like a coulee, and after that they drop
into Stone Hill Pit--the Buffalo Pound. I saw the Indians
building these trail-slides last night. It will be a great Run--a
mighty Kill!"

"Yes," affirmed Shag, "we both know of this thing--we who are of
no account; it is only the Outcasts who have much wisdom,
seemingly. Behind the bushes hide the Indians, and no Buffalo
will break through because of them. On, on they'll gallop to the
death-pit, the Pound. Let us move up closer; my old blood tingles
with it, for I've been in many a Run."

A'tim grinned like a Hyena. Already in his Wolf nostrils was the
visionary scent of blood, and much killing. That night he would
dip his lean jaws in the Kill of the Redmen.

Eagle Shoe and the two Indians who had come up out of the level
plain like evil spirits were leading and driving their prey into
the wide jaws of the converging stockade. The Buffalo were
pressing on to destruction with increased pace, following with
blind stupidity the horseman who cantered in front of them. From
a lazy stroll they had quickened to a fast walk; a shuffling trot
had given place to an impatient lope. Calves were being hustled
to the center of the moving Herd by loving mothers. Head down,
and wisp-tail straight out, the brown bodies shifted from lope to
mad ga