106 The King of the Thundering Herd 



11 By jiminy," cried Bennie, " old Brin- 

 die has gone and had a calf I " 



But no, this could not be ; the cow had 

 been new milch only for a few months. 

 The calf was not hers, but she had plainly 

 adopted it. 



At that moment from far across the river 

 floated the bellow of a distant buffalo. 

 This sound gave just the key to the mystery 

 needed, and the truth flashed across Bennie. 

 It was a buffalo calf, one that had lost its 

 mother and strayed away from the herd. 

 Old Brindle had either adopted it of her 

 own will, or perhaps the little stranger had 

 forced his company upon her. 



Bennie now went up to old Brindle and 

 got hold of her horns. Then he untied a 

 rope which he had carried about his waist 

 for the purpose and secured the cow, and 

 with Shep bringing up the rear, started to 

 lead her slowly out of the coulee. 



At the first move upon their part the calf 



