The New King 169 



One afternoon, when they had been 

 ploughing only three days, Buck balked 

 just as he had done in the autumn and when 

 Bennie pulled the harness from him and 

 threw it on the ground he kicked up his heels 

 and started for the creek at his best pace. 



Shep happened to be in the field near by, 

 watching some magpies, which were follow- 

 ing the plough, pick up worms, and Bennie 

 called to him to go after the bison. Noth- 

 ing loath, Shep started after the truant, 

 barking gleefully as much as to say, " I 

 will bring him back in a few minutes. 

 You just see." But strange to relate, his 

 master did not see either him or the buffalo 

 again that day. Not that day nor that 

 week. In fact, it was eight years before 

 Bennie again set eyes upon Buck, and 

 Shep only returned after the lapse of four 

 months, and then he came dragging him- 

 self painfully home, nearly dead with hun- 

 ger and suffering. 



