184 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



shaggy head, sniffed the air, listened intently, 

 and withdrew to rejoin the little herd, which 

 was lying down and contentedly chewing the 

 cud, all indifferent to the drive of the Polar 

 storm. 



The black bull of the barrens, as he stood 

 and eyed contemplatively the resting herd, 

 showed small in stature but extraordinarily 

 massive in build. A scant six feet in length 

 from muzzle to root of tail, and not much 

 over three feet high at the shoulder, he was 

 modelled, nevertheless, on lines that for 

 power a mammoth might have envied. His 

 square frame was clothed with long blackish 

 hair reaching almost to the fetlocks. His 

 ponderous head, maned and shaggy, was 

 armed with short crescent horns, keen-tipped 

 and serviceable for battle. And he carried it 

 swung low, muzzle in and front well forward, 

 always ready for defence against the enemies 

 of the herd. 



The herd numbered some dozen or fifteen 

 cows, armed and powerful like their mates, 

 several younger bulls, and perhaps a dozen 

 yearling or two-year-old calves. At one 

 moment, as the fierce drift slackened, they 

 would all be more or less visible shrouded, 

 dark forms with contemplative eyes, peace- 

 fully ruminating. A moment more and they 



