The carnage had sent Shag's life back a score of years; the
battle heat warmed his old blood until it coursed with the fire
of fighting youth; he was a young Bull again, full of the
glorious supple strength that had been his as chief gladiator of
all the prairie arena: that was why A'tim fell short as he
reached for the death hold.
With a deft twist Shag had the Dog-Wolf pinned to the earth
between the worn old horns.
"Now, traitor," he grunted.
"Spare me," pleaded A'tim; "I, who am not of your kind, slept by
your side, and guided you to this land where you have a Herd. I
was forced to this by the Wolves--they threatened to eat me.
Spare me, Great Bull; I came to warn you, but the Wolves followed
fast."
Shag hesitated. One crunch from his broad forehead, one little
push--so, and the Dog-Wolf, who was A'tim, would--
[Illustration: "THOU ART A TRAITOR, AND A GREAT LIAR," SAID THE
BULL.]
"Spare me, Shag--let me go," pleaded the mongrel again; "I
brought you to this Herd--to this Northland which is good. Were
we not Outcast Brothers together?"
Again Shag hesitated. Why not? Was he not a Buffalo Bull, a
Leader of Herds? Did his kind ever do aught for revenge--kill
except in defense of their own lives? And was not this Dog-Wolf
lying helpless between his horns beyond all chance of doing him
injury--this Mongrel that had been as a Brother to him when they
were Outcasts? Also the Wolves were dead--trampled into silence.
"Thou art a traitor, and a great liar, A'tim," said the Bull,
rising, "but you may go because you are an Outcast, and because I
also was one."
And that was the beginning of the Herd of the Wood Buffalo, that
are big and strong and beautiful, in the spruce forests of the
Athabasca Lake.
[Illustration: END]
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
The punctuation was standardized in the caption "One after another they
hurtled into the slaughter-pen of the Blood Indians' corral."
The word "everyting" has been retained on page 82.
The punctuation and paragraphing were standardized on page 129.
The "oe" ligature in the word manoeuver is represented as [oe].