e herd as many of its choicest
members as they wanted, which were always the young and fat cows.

He descended the tree hastily and related what he had seen to the
others, who, however, were not stirred greatly by the narration.

"The buffaloes are a river, two miles wide, flowing between us and the
savage hunters," said Boyd, "and not having trees to climb and glasses
to look through they won't see us."

"Besides, they're taking meat for their village, wherever it may be,"
said Brady, "and they're not dreaming that white men whose heads can
furnish nice scalps are near."

Will shivered a little, and clapped one hand to his hair, which was
uncommonly thick and fine.

"Your scalp is thar, right an' tight, young William," said the Little
Giant, "but ef the Sioux got up close to you, you'd hev to hold it on
with both han's 'stead o' one. Hev any o' you fellers noticed that all
of us hev pow'ful thick, strong hair that would make splendid scalps fit
to hang in the tepees o' the head chiefs theirselves? It's remarkyble
how fine they are, speshully on the heads o' old men like Jim an'
Steve."

"Thomas Bent, you irreverent and chunky imp," said Brady, "I, the oldest
of this party, am but thirty-eight. I have not yet reached the full
prime of my physical powers, and if I should be put to it I could
administer to you the thrashing you need."

"And I'm only thirty-six," said Boyd, "and I've licked Tom often and
often, though sometimes, when he's feeling right peart, I'd have to use
both hands to do it. But I don't have any feeling against him when I do
the job. It's just to improve his language and manners. These boys of
thirty-two or three are so pesky full of life and friskiness that you
have to treat 'em as you would young lions. Before we met you in the
mountains, Steve, I generally gave him his thrashing in the morning
before breakfast."

He reached a large palm for the Little Giant, who leaped lightly away
and laughed.

"Lend me your glasses, young William," he said. "I'd like to climb one
o' the cotton woods myself an' take a look at the Indian hunters. O'
course you're a bright boy, young William, an' Jim an' Steve are so old
they're boun' to hev some intelligence forced upon 'em, but ez fur me
brightness an' intelligence come nateral, an' though mighty modest 'bout
it, I reckon I'm a kind o' Napoleon o' the West. They say our figgers
are tremenjeously alike, though, o' course, I'm thicker an' much
stronger th