216 The King of the Thundering Herd 



as their kind, that taught them self-preser- 

 vation and led them blindly yet surely to 

 the best feed and water. 



For a quarter of an hour they trotted 

 slowly, but the pace was not swift enough 

 for Shep, who was greatly excited by the 

 host of dark-moving heads that he beheld 

 on every side ; so he began barking in his 

 sharp imperative way, just as he had done 

 in the old days when he rode the bison to 

 the creek for water. 



In obedience to his four-footed driver, 

 Buck broke into a clumsy gallop. The 

 mighty host on every side followed his ex- 

 ample, and Shep gazing about, wide-eyed 

 and excited, could see all around, as 

 far as the eye could reach, innumerable 

 black shaggy heads all bobbing up and 

 down. 



What fun it was ! Louder and more im- 

 periously he barked at Buck, who increased 

 his pace to a pounding gallop, clumsy but 



