stened his lean jaws upon it, and sprang
for the door. He was none too quick. "Thud, thudety-thud,
thudety-thudety-thud!" a horseman was hammering down the sloping
bank across the ford.

As A'tim leaped from the tent the horseman shouted and drove big
rowel spurs hard up the flank of his galloping Cayuse.

"Just my evil chance!" snarled A'tim as he headed for Shag; "but
what is a small piece of Bacon compared with a big Buffalo?" For
into his quick Wolf brain came the safety thought that should the
pursuing hunter sight Shag he would follow, and let the bacon
go.

As the Man galloped he unslung a gun, and fired at the fleeing
Dog-Wolf. A little sputter of dust drove into the nostrils of
A'tim as a trade ball spat in his face and buried itself in front
of him. There was no second shot; only the "thudety-thud" of the
Pony's hoofs. The pursuer was armed with a muzzle-loading trade
musket.

The shot startled Shag. Now he could see them rushing his way;
soon they would be upon him. With a bellow of frightened rage at
the stupidity of A'tim, he stuck his scraggy tail out with its
tip curled over his back, and broke into a solemn gallop.

In an instant the hunter swerved from his course and raced for
the Bull, loading his gun as the Cayuse swung along under a free
rein. Shag chuckled softly as he spread his great quarters, and
hung his nose closer to earth.

"It's a down trail for miles," he muttered, "and I, who in my
prime have outrun the fastest Buffalo Horses of the Bloods and
Blackfeet, can surely show that lean-flanked Pack Animal a long
trail. Mou-o-o-h! but already I feel in my veins the strength of
this rich feeding." And the huge form slipped down the gentle
grade of sloping plain like an express train. Once the hunter
threw the butt of his musket to shoulder and fired; but half the
powder charge had spilled in the restless loading, and the trade
ball wandered aimlessly yards wide of the fleeing Bull. Shag
grunted and kinked his tail derisively as the spirit of old times
threw its glamor over him. It was years since he had been
thought worthy of the chase; surely he was becoming of some
account in the Buffalo world again.

A'tim, sitting on his haunches, watched the departing cavalcade,
and industriously absorbed much of the fat pork. "I can carry it
better in my stomach," he reasoned philosophically. "But who
would have thought old Shag had it in him?" he muttered in
admiration.

As he gazed, the exten