228 The King of the Thundering Herd 



stoutly as usual that he had seen Buck and 

 Shep, when there came a soft whine at the 

 door. Bennie sprang up and threw it wide 

 open, when, to the utter astonishment of all, 

 poor Shep fell across the door-sill into the 

 room and lay panting upon the floor. 



Bennie picked him up in his arms and 

 laid him down gently by the fire. Food 

 and water were brought and when he had 

 eaten and drunk, the exhausted dog seemed 

 better, but he was nearly dead with hunger 

 and pain. 



One hind-leg hung limp and he whim- 

 pered as soon as Mr. Anderson put his hand 

 upon it. Bennie poked the hair upon the 

 rump away carefully and found a bad 

 wound, inflamed and filthy, with a cruel 

 Indian arrow head sticking in the fleshy 

 portion. 



So Eagle Feather had told the truth after 

 all. He had really shot at the wolf, and 

 badly wounded him. It was weeks before 



