156 The King of the Thundering Herd 



Mud and water were thrown up in showers. 

 Twice Buck seemed stuck beyond hope of 

 recovering his power to move. But with 

 mighty wrenchings he freed himself and 

 swept on with the rest of the floundering 

 mass. 



For five minutes more they thundered on 

 and then suddenly the herd seemed jam- 

 ming in front of them. Buck sheered off to 

 the right, making his way through a little 

 opening that had appeared at just the nick 

 of time. Then he gave a great leap down 

 a steep bank and Bennie nearly went over 

 his head. But slipping and sliding the 

 buffalo came to good footing again, and 

 after scrambling up a corresponding bank 

 they again swept on with the herd. 



It was now raining hard and the thun- 

 der and lightning had ceased. Gradually 

 the herd slackened its pace. By degrees 

 the thunder of their myriad hoofs grew 

 less, and just as the madness had come upon 



