horizon. His picturesque
foxskin cap with all its trimmings was incrusted with frost from the
breath of his nostrils, and his lagging footfall sounded crisply. The
distance he had that day covered was enough for any human endurance;
yet he was neither faint nor hungry; but his feet were frozen into the
psay, the snow-shoes, so that he could not run faster than an easy slip
and slide.

At last he reached the much-coveted point--the crown of the last
ascent; and when he smelled fire and the savory odor of the jerked
buffalo meat, it well-nigh caused him to waver! But he must not fail to
follow the custom of untold ages, and give the game scout's wolf call
before entering camp.

Accordingly he paused upon the highest point of the ridge and uttered a
cry to which the hungry cry of a real wolf would have seemed but a
coyote's yelp in comparison! Then it was that the rest of the buffalo
hunters knew that their game scout was returning with welcome news; for
the unsuccessful scout enters the camp silently.

In the meantime, the hunters at the temporary camp were aroused to a
high pitch of excitement. Some turned their buffalo robes and put them
on in such a way as to convert themselves into make-believe bison, and
began to tread the snow, while others were singing the buffalo song,
that their spirits might be charmed and allured within the circle of
the camp-fires. The scout, too, was singing his buffalo bull song in a
guttural, lowing chant as he neared the hunting camp. Within arrow-shot
he paused again, while the usual ceremonies were enacted for his
reception. This done, he was seated with the leaders in a chosen place.

"It was a long run," he said, "but there were no difficulties. I found
the first herd directly north of here. The second herd, a great one, is
northeast, near Shell Lake. The snow is deep. The buffalo can only
follow their leader in their retreat."

"Hi, hi, hi!" the hunters exclaimed solemnly in token of gratitude,
raising their hands heavenward and then pointing them toward the
ground.

"Ho, kola! one more round of the buffalo-pipe, then we shall retire, to
rise before daybreak for the hunt," advised one of the leaders.
Silently they partook in turn of the long-stemmed pipe, and one by one,
with a dignified "Ho!" departed to their teepees.

The scout betook himself to his little old buffalo teepee, which he
used for winter hunting expeditions. His faithful Shunka, who had been
all this time its