222 The King of the Thundering Herd 



look out of the shattered cab-window along 

 the track ahead. It was black with bison 

 as far as the eye could reach, all galloping 

 madly across the tracks in their precipitate 

 flight southward. 



" My God, what a sight ! " gasped the as- 

 tonished engineer. " I should think that 

 all the buffalo upon these plains had been 

 bunched right here upon the track within 

 half a mile of us." 



" No," replied Bennie. " It is not that at 

 all. There are millions of them. It is the 

 Thundering Herd. I have seen it before. 

 This herd may stretch for miles to the 

 north. 



" Look, Mr. Bennett, look," the boy fairly 

 shrieked, gripping his friend's arm and 

 pointing with his outstretched hand di- 

 rectly ahead of them. 



The engineer turned his head just in time 

 to see a mighty bison, larger and taller than 

 his fellows, loom up darkly against the 



