y on. Still nearer crept the wolf until Ned was at his mercy.

At this critical juncture, something whizzed from the upper surface of
the rock, with the velocity almost of a bullet. It was a tomahawk,
which, speeding true to its aim, struck the unsuspicious wolf fairly and
with such terrific force that his skull was cloven in twain as
completely as if smitten by the headsman's ax. There was scarcely time
for the wild yelp as he tumbled over backward. But, such as it was, it
aroused Ned, who sprang to his feet and gazed about him with an alarmed
and bewildered air. Before he could fairly comprehend what had taken
place he saw figures descending and approaching. It was too late to
retreat. He was surrounded.

"I'm a goner now!" he muttered.

But as the firelight brightened, he saw the kindly faces of Tom Hardynge
and Dick Morris.

CHAPTER XXXII.

REUNITED.

"How was it that you came to leave me for so long a time?" inquired Ned,
after he had welcomed his two friends with boyish enthusiasm and
congratulated himself upon his timely deliverance.

"Wal," replied Tom, as the three took up a comfortable position before
the fire, "we started you off on that hunt on purpose to give you a
little taste of buffaler huntin', calc'latin' to foller on after ye in
the course of an hour or two. Afore we could do so, a war-party of a
hundred redskins got right atween us--didn't you see 'em?"

"No such party as that."

"In course they shut us out altogether. The worst of it was, we
exchanged a few shots back and forth with 'em, and they give us a brush;
so by the time we had dodged out of their way, we was a long ways off
from you. We couldn't do nothin' till mornin', and by that time the
buffaloes and Injuns had trampled out your trail, so that there was
nothin' to be seen of it, and we had to go it on general principles. We
had 'bout made up our mind that some of the varmints had gobbled you,
when we put eyes on this fire, and there ain't any use of tellin' any
more."

The lad now in compliance with their request, related his entire
experience since their separation. Old and veteran hunters as they were,
and chary of praise as was their custom, they did not hesitate to
compliment him highly upon the courage he had displayed in the most
trying emergencies in which he was placed. His experience had, indeed,
been a most remarkable one, and Providence had protected him in a
wonderful manner.

Everything being understoo