162 The King of the Thundering Herd 



once Bennie was wholly deceived and 

 reached down for the Colt's revolver, but 

 in another minute faithful old Shep came 

 bounding over a near-by swell, barking glee- 

 fully at every jump. Frantically he leaped 

 upon Buck's back beside his young master 

 and Bennie hugged him with all his might. 

 He was only a dog but there was something 

 almost human in Shep's greeting, and when 

 Bennie remembered that his faithful friend 

 had come five miles up the river to meet 

 him, a great lump gathered in the boy's 

 throat. 



What a strange sense it was, too, that had 

 told Shep that his master was near. They 

 made the rest of the trip together upon the 

 buffalo's back, and two hours later the mead- 

 ows and the log cabin and all the well- 

 remembered scenes came in sight, and the 

 strange journey was over. 



