Boots and Saddles 251 



" Well," ejaculated the astonished officer, 

 " of course that makes a difference, but I 

 didn't count on your having any bosom 

 friends among the bison." 



The young soldier reached for the officer's 

 glass and focused it upon the spot where he 

 had left Buck. He was not there, but far 

 up the mountainside he could see him 

 laboriously climbing to freedom. Out and 

 in among the scrub-pines he wound his way. 

 For a moment the young man watching 

 breathlessly would think he had lost him 

 and then he would reappear again higher 

 up. 



But the shadows of coming night gather- 

 ing each minute among the pine glooms on 

 the mountain top made it hard to distin- 

 guish the dark form of the old King. 



At last he was but a shadow himself, 

 among the lighter shadows, a dark spot 

 that went higher and higher into the pro- 

 tecting folds of the mantle of coming night. 



