his comrades in the dip. His trained eyes saw their chests rising and
falling, and he knew that they were far away in the land of Nowhere.
Then he extended his walk back and forth a little further, scanning
carefully the dusky plain.

A light wind sprang up after a while, and it brought a low but heavy and
measured tread to his ears. The Panther's first impulse was to awaken
his friends, because this might be the band of Urrea, but he hesitated a
moment, and then lay down with his ear to the earth. When he rose his
uneasiness had departed and he resumed his walk back and forth. He had
heard that tread before many times and, now that it was coming nearer,
he could not mistake it, but, as the measured beat indicated that it
would pass to one side, it bore no threat for his comrades or himself.

The Panther did not stop his walk as from a distance of a few hundred
yards he watched the great buffalo herd go by. The sound was so steady
and regular that Ned and Obed were not awakened nor were the horses
disturbed. The buffaloes showed a great black mass across the plain,
extending for fully a mile, and they were moving north at an even gait.
The Panther watched until the last had passed, and he judged that there
were fully a hundred thousand animals in the herd. He saw also the big
timber wolves hanging on the rear and flanks, ready to cut out stray
calves or those weak from old age. So busy were the wolves seeking a
chance that they did not notice the gigantic figure of the man, rifle on
shoulder, who stood on the crest of the swell looking at them as they
passed.

The Panther's eyes followed the black line of the herd until it
disappeared under the northern rim of darkness. He was wondering why the
buffaloes were traveling so steadily after daylight and he came to the