98 The King of the Thundering Herd 



So the boy and the dog explored the 

 banks for a mile in each direction without 

 seeing any signs of the cow, and then they 

 decided to stop in a small coulee leading 

 down to the river. Here it was cool and 

 sweet and very restful after the long tramp 

 across the plains. 



Bennie did not share his bison-steak 

 with the dog, so he shot a gopher for Shep, 

 who seemed quite contented with his own 

 supper. 



Presently the soft mantle of dusk dropped 

 suddenly over the great plains, and one by 

 one the stars appeared. Bennie amused 

 himself counting them until they came so 

 fast that he could no longer keep track of 

 them ; then he went to collect some fagots 

 for the night camp-fire. 



The plains seemed so vast and lifeless as 

 far as human life was concerned. It would 

 not seem quite so bad when they had the 

 fire going, for a camp-fire is a great dis- 



