Badlands Billy 
they knew that with snow we might have 
luck. 
“Remember now,” said King, as all were 
mounting, ‘“we don’t want any but Badlands 
Billy this trip. Get him an’ we kin bust up 
the hull combination. It is a five-and-a-half- 
inch track.” 
And each measured off on his quirt handle, 
or on his glove, the exact five and a half inches 
that was to be used in testing the tracks he 
might find. 
Not more than an hour elapsed before we 
got a signal from the rider who had gone west- 
ward. One shot: that means “attention,” a 
pause while counting ten, then two shots: that 
means “come on,” 
King gathered the Dogs and rode direct to 
the distant figure on the hill. All hearts beat 
high with hope, and we were not disappointed. 
Some small Wolf tracks had been found, but 
here at last was the big track, nearly six inches 
long. Young Penroof wanted to yell and set 
out at full gallop. It was like hunting a Lion; 
it was like finding happiness long deferred. 
The hunter knows nothing more inspiring than 
150 
