ough Sioux bow, gripping his horse with his knees, swaying his body
out to the bow, as he well knew how. The shaft, discharged at a
distance of but half a dozen feet, sank home with a soft _zut_. The
stricken animal swerved quickly toward him, but his wary horse leaped
aside and went on. Such as the work had been, it was done for that
buffalo at least, and Lewis knew that he had caught the trick.

The black runner singled out another and yet another; and again and
again Lewis shot--until at last, his arrows nearly exhausted, after
two or three miles of mad speed, he pulled out of the herd and waited.

In the white dust-cloud, lifted now and then, he could see naked forms
swaying, bending forward, plying their weapons. Somewhere in the midst
of it, out in the ruck of hoof and horn, his friend was riding,
forgetting all else but the excitement of the chase. What if accident
had befallen either of them? Lewis could not avoid asking himself that
question.

Now the riders edged through the herd, outward, around its
flank--turned it, were crowding it back, milling and confused. Out of
the dust emerged two figures, naked, leaning forward to the leaping of
their horses. One was an Indian, his black locks flowing, his eyes
gleaming, his hand flogging his horse as he rode. The other was a
white man, his tall white body splashed with blood, his long red hair,
broken from his cue, on his shoulders.

The two were pursuing the same animal--a young bull, which thus far
had kept his distance some fifty yards or so ahead. But as Lewis
looked, both riders urged their horses to yet more speed. The piebald
of William Clark, well ridden, sprang away in advance and laid him
alongside of the quarry. Lewis himself saw the poised spear--saw it
plunge--saw the buffalo stumble in its stride--and saw his companion
pass on, whooping in exultation at Weucha, who came up an instant
later, defeated, but grinning and offering his hand. Now came Dorion
also, out of ammunition, yet not out of speech, excited, jabbering as
usual.

"Four nice cow I'll kill!" gabbled he. "I'll kill him four tam, bang,
bang! Plenty meat for my lodge now. How many you'll shot, Captain?" he
asked of Lewis.

"Plenty--you will find them back there."

Weucha, who came up after magnanimously shaking the hand of William
Clark, peered with curiosity into Lewis's almost empty quiver. He
smiled again, for that the white men had ridden well was obvious
enough. He called a youn