Shag made a frugal
meal off the bronzed grass, fast curing on its stem for the
winter forage.

"There'll be good eating here for the Grass Feeders," he said,
grinding leisurely at the wild hay.

"Indeed there will," answered the Dog-Wolf. "The Grass Feeders
will wax fat for the benefit of the Meat Eaters. I wish one would
come my way now," he sighed hungrily.

"We are almost half way," continued A'tim, as he trotted beside
the long-striding Bull.

"I'm glad of that, Brother. My foot joints are not so well oiled
as they once were, and are getting hot and dry. Strange that we
should not see some of our cousins, is it not, Dog-Wolf?"

"I saw one yesterday," replied A'tim.

"Aye, Brother, and he saw you, too."

"Else I had eaten him," added the Dog-Wolf.

"A Coyote?" asked Shag incredulously; "eat a Coyote? Impossible!
No animal ever ate a Coyote!"

"No animal was ever so hungry as I was yesterday before
Wie-sah-ke led me to the Fat Bacon."

"It's terribly dreary," said Shag, returning again to his first
thought; "no Elk, no Antelope, no Buffalo, no Indian Cayuse. Why
is it? Has Man killed them all off, as he has done with my
people?"

"Yes, Man, and the Man-fire. From the black that is underneath
this new grass I know that last year the Man-fire swept over this
land faster and straighter than a Wolf Pack gallops----"

Suddenly he broke off and made a fierce rush into the prairie. A
brown Cow-Bird flew up and lighted on Shag's horn. The Dog-Wolf
rose on his hind legs and snapped viciously at the Bird.

"Steady, Dog-Wolf, steady," admonished Shag, "this is a friend of
mine. Do you not know the Cow-Bird, who is always with the Herd?"

"Who is your friend?" asked the Cow-Bird of Shag. "Queer company
you keep, Great Bull; a Herd Leader leading a Wolf is new to me."

"I'm no Wolf, Scavenger!" retorted A'tim. "I'm a Dog; I'll crack
your----"

"Perhaps, perhaps," retorted the Cow-Bird.

"Perhaps what?" snarled A'tim.

"Perhaps you're a Dog, and perhaps you will crack my--neck, you
were going to say. Are you leading the Bull to your Wolf Pack,
perhaps--Dog?"

"Never mind, Comrades," interrupted Shag. "We are glad of your
company, little Cow-Bird--are we not, A'tim?"

"Yes," answered the Dog-Wolf, licking his chops, and looking
treacherously from the corner of his slit eyes at the Bird.

"Where are you going, Great Bull?" asked the Cow-Bird, spreading
his deep-brown wings mockingly, as though he would f