180 The King of the Thundering Herd 



turned partly about and touched his nose 

 with hers. As her warm breath filled his 

 nostrils and her rough tongue stole out to 

 caress his muzzle, Buck knew that he had 

 found that for which he sought. 



The bison do not mate permanently as do 

 the deer family, being more bigamous, but 

 Buck and the young heifer stuck closely to 

 each other for several days, and this was as 

 near a honeymoon as he could come. 



The company of the young heifer satis- 

 fied the longing that had made him so rest- 

 less ever since he had gone into the land of 

 the bison, but there was still another pas- 

 sion within that would not let him rest. 



Every time one of the belligerent bulls 

 threw up dust and bellowed defiantly at 

 him, he felt this passion. It was the grow- 

 ing lust for battle, the natural rage of the 

 male against all other males, which might 

 be possible rivals, rivals in love or war. 



It is the nature of the male, be it man or 



