air to serve as stockings, over which
he put on his large buffalo moccasins with the hair inside, and adjusted
his warm leggings. He then adjusted his snowshoes and filled his quiver
full of good arrows. The dog quietly lay down in a warm place, making
himself as small as possible, as if to escape observation, and calmly
watched his master.

"Ho, ho, ho, kola! Enakanee, enakanee!" shouted the game herald. "It is
always best to get the game early; then their spirits can take flight
with the coming of a new day!"

All had now donned their snow-shoes. There was no food left; therefore
no delay to prepare breakfast.

"It is very propitious for our hunt," one exclaimed; "everything is in
our favor. There is a good crust on the snow, and the promise of a good
clear day!"

Soon all the hunters were running in single file upon the trail of the
scout, each Indian closely followed by his trusty hunting dog. In less
than two hours they stood just back of the low ridge which rounded the
south side of Shell Lake. The narrow strip of land between its twin
divisions was literally filled with the bison. In the gulches beyond,
between the dark lines of timber, there were also scattered groups;
but the hunters at once saw their advantage over the herd upon the
peninsula.

"Hechetu, kola! This is well, friends!" exclaimed the first to speak.
"These can be forced to cross the slippery ice and the mire around the
springs. This will help us to get more meat. Our people are hungry, and
we must kill many in order to feed them!"

"Ho, ho, ho!" agreed all the hunters.

"And it is here that we can use our companion hunters best, for the
shunkas will intimidate and bewilder the buffalo women," said an old
man.

"Ugh, he is always right! Our dogs must help us here. The meat will be
theirs as well as ours," another added.

"Tosh, kola! The game scout's dog is the greatest shunka of them all!
He has a mind near like that of a man. Let him lead the attack of his
fellows, while we crawl up on the opposite side and surround the buffalo
upon the slippery ice and in the deceitful mire," spoke up a third. So
it was agreed that the game scout and his Shunka should lead the attack
of the dogs.

"Woo, woo, woo!" was the hoarse signal from the throat of the game
scout; but his voice was drowned by the howling and barking of the
savage dogs as they made their charge. In a moment all was confusion
among the buffalo. Some started this way, others th