146 The King of the Thundering Herd 



year's feeding all the better, so the buffalo 

 gave where he took, and the earth was not 

 denuded for long. 



For the greater part, the bison seemed 

 peaceable enough among themselves al- 

 though there was occasionally a fight to 

 the death among the bulls, where some 

 king of the herd was being dethroned. 



While Bennie stayed upon the back of 

 Buck, he attracted no attention, but as 

 soon as he dismounted, he was an object of 

 suspicion and disfavor. He soon learned 

 that it was well to keep within easy reach 

 of Buck, who was his refuge as far as the 

 buffalo were concerned. 



He occasionally came across Indian 

 signs, an old abandoned camp, or a trail 

 where an entire village had been moving, 

 the dragging of their lodge-poles making a 

 very plain track and on one or two oc- 

 casions met with friendly hunting parties. 

 One advantage he had in riding his buffalo 



