have been the weathering that goes on constantly, and it might
have been an animal. I inclined to the former idea till I saw Satan's
ears go up. Jones had told me to watch the ears of my horse, and short
as had been my acquaintance with Satan, I had learned that he always
discovered things more quickly than I. So I waited patiently.

From time to time a rattling roll of pebbles, almost musical, caught my
ear. It came from the base of the wall of yellow cliff that barred the
summit of all those ridges. Satan threw up his head and nosed the
breeze. The delicate, almost stealthy sounds, the action of my horse,
the waiting drove my heart to extra work. The breeze quickened and
fanned my cheek, and borne upon it came the faint and far-away bay of a
hound. It came again and again, each time nearer. Then on a stronger
puff of wind rang the clear, deep, mellow call that had given Sounder
his beautiful name. Never it seemed had I heard music so
blood-stirring. Sounder was on the trail of something, and he had it
headed my way. Satan heard, shot up his long ears, and tried to go
ahead; but I restrained and soothed him into quiet.

Long moments I sat there, with the poignant consciousness of the
wildness of the scene, of the significant rattling of the stones and of
the bell-tongued hound baying incessantly, sending warm joy through my
veins, the absorption in sensations new, yielding only to the hunting
instinct when Satan snorted and quivered. Again the deep-toned bay rang
into the silence with its stirring thrill of life. And a sharp rattling
of stones just above brought another snort from Satan.

Across an open space in the pinyons a gray form flashed. I leaped off
Satan and knelt to get a better view under the trees. I soon made out
another deer passing along the base of the cliff. Mounting again, I
rode up to the cliff to wait for Sounder.

A long time I had to wait for the hound. It proved that the atmosphere
was as deceiving in regard to sound as to sight. Finally Sounder came
running along the wall. I got off to intercept him. The crazy
fellow--he had never responded to my overtures of friendship--uttered
short, sharp yelps of delight, and actually leaped into my arms. But I
could not hold him. He darted upon the trail again and paid no heed to
my angry shouts. With a resolve to overhaul him, I jumped on Satan and
whirled after the hound.

The black stretched out with such a stride that I was at pains to keep
my sea