142 The King of the Thundering Herd 



merely for the price of powder and ball. 

 The air was like new wine, causing the 

 blood to tingle and the heart to throb with 

 joy, and the body to exult in its strength. 



Bennie thought that the world had never 

 looked so fair, or life seem so sweet as on 

 this morning. It was the only vacation 

 that he had taken since they came West, 

 with the possible exception of the trip to 

 the Bluffs, where he had given the exhibi- 

 tion of Shep's riding. Poor old Shep, 

 how he had teased to come along. The 

 last sight of home and the home friends 

 that the boy remembered was the friendly 

 face of Shep gazing over the distant hilltop 

 after his young master. 



For the better part of the way they went 

 at a slow trot, which might perhaps cover 

 three miles an hour. This gait was varied 

 by occasionally stopping to walk, or some- 

 times Bennie put Buck to his cumbersome 

 gallop, which, considering the size of the 



