Will heard a long, weird moaning sound, but he only laughed. It was the
voice of the great wolves, but they and the bears had been defeated so
often that he did not fear them. He swung the magnificent bow jauntily
and was more than willing to put it to deadly use.

As the bird flies, the valley might have had a length of twenty miles,
but following its curves it was nearer forty, and as the three had no
reason for haste they took their time, traveling over the river bed,
because it was free from obstruction. At noon they ate pemmican, and,
after a rest of a half hour, pushed on again. The valley at this point
was not more than two miles wide, and Pehansan had his eyes set on a
deep gorge to the left, where the cedars and pines sheltered from the
winds seemed to have grown to an uncommon size.

"May find elk in here, where snow is not deep. Best place to look. Don't
you think?" he said.

"I agree with you," replied Will.

"Pehansan speaks well," said Roka.

Then they left the river bed and, bearing away toward the west,
approached the gorge which Will could now see was very deep, and with a
comparatively easy slope. He had an idea that many of the great
carnivora came into the valley by this road, but he did not speak of it
to the other two.

About an hour after noon they came to the edge of the forest and
Pehansan, searching in the snow, found large tracks which were evidently
those of hoofs.

"Elk?" said Will, "and a big one, too, I suppose."

"No," replied Pehansan, "not elk. Something bigger."

"What can it be? Moose, then?"

"No, not moose. Bigger still!"

"I give it up. What is it?"

"A mountain buffalo, a bigger beast than those we find in the great
herds on the plains, which you know, Waditaka, are very big, too."

"Then this giant is ours. He has come in here for food and shelter, and
we ought not to have much trouble in finding him. Lead on, Pehansan, and
I'll get a chance to use this grand bow sooner than I had thought."

The tracks were deep sunken in the snow, but he was not yet expert
enough to tell their probable age.

"How old would you say they are, Pehansan?" he asked.

"Made to-day," replied the Indian, bending his glowing eyes upon the
trail. "Two, three hour ago. He not far away."

"Then he's ours. A big mountain buffalo fresh on the hoof will be
welcome in the village."

"Be careful about the snowshoes," said Roka. "The buffalo will be among
the trees and bushes and when we