enveloped them in whirling whiteness.
"Woo, woo!" they called to those who had not yet reached camp. One after
another answered and emerged from the blinding pall of snow. At last
none were missing save the game scout and his Shunka!

The hunters passed the time in eating and telling stories until a late
hour, occasionally giving a united shout to guide the lost one should he
chance to pass near their camp.

"Fear not for our scout, friends!" finally exclaimed a leader
among them. "He is a brave and experienced man. He will find a safe
resting-place, and join us when the wind ceases to rage." So they all
wrapped themselves in their robes and lay down to sleep.

All that night and the following day it was impossible to give succor,
and the hunters felt much concern for the absent. Late in the second
night the great storm subsided.

"Ho, ho! Iyotanka! Rise up!" So the first hunter to awaken aroused all
the others.

As after every other storm, it was wonderfully still; so still that one
could hear distinctly the pounding feet of the jack-rabbits coming down
over the slopes to the willows for food. All dry vegetation was buried
beneath the deep snow, and everywhere they saw this white-robed creature
of the prairie coming down to the woods.

Now the air was full of the wolf and coyote game call, and they were
seen in great numbers upon the ice.

"See, see! the hungry wolves are dragging the carcasses away! Harken
to the war cries of the scout's Shunka! Hurry, hurry!" they urged one
another in chorus.

Away they ran and out upon the lake; now upon the wind-swept ice, now
upon the crusted snow; running when they could, sliding when they must.
There was certainly a great concourse of the wolves, whirling in frantic
circles, but continually moving toward the farther end of the lake.
They could hear distinctly the hoarse bark of the scout's Shunka, and
occasionally the muffled war-whoop of a man, as if it came from under
the ice!

As they approached nearer the scene they could hear more distinctly the
voice of their friend, but still as it were from underground. When they
reached the spot to which the wolves had dragged two of the carcasses of
the buffalo, Shunka was seen to stand by one of them, but at that moment
he staggered and fell. The hunters took out their knives and ripped up
the frozen hide covering the abdominal cavity. It revealed a warm nest
of hay and buffalo hair in which the scout lay, wrapped in his ow