did I say?" said Chris, laughing. "He's thinking about
roast beef for dinner."

"Then he won't get any to-day," cried Griggs. "There they go; they've
taken alarm."

"Oh!" cried Ned, as the black objects suddenly disappeared. "We ought
to have shot one."

"They're all right," said Griggs coolly. "We know that there are
buffaloes in this part of the country, and we can stalk one when we
like. We don't want meat to-day. I say boys, we've only seen them, but
we know now there's something else."

"What?" cried Ned.

"Wolves."

"How do you know?"

"Always are. They follow the bison-droves."

"But a great bull bison could easily kill a wolf."

"But a calf couldn't," said Griggs dryly. "They hang about after the
droves so as to pull down the very young calves, and kill the mothers
too, sometimes. Well, this is a good beginning, and I only hope we may
find beef like this in our larder wherever we go, till we discover the
old city."

"They haven't seen them," said Chris. "Shout and tell them, then, now."
Chris gave a hail, and made the announcement.

"Where?" shouted Wilton excitedly.

"Out of sight now, sir," replied Griggs. "The grass is very high down
in that hollow, but if you look towards those trees you may see what I
can now, the tall grass waving as if something was plunging through it."

"I see them," said Bourne directly after.

"And I," cried Wilton. "Let's ride hard and cut them off."

But a word from the doctor checked him.

"Why not?" he said. "We shall want the food."

"Yes, sometime," said the doctor. "The buffaloes will not go far from
such abundant pasture, with water close at hand. We can pick up a few
birds as we come back, I dare say, enough for this evening and
to-morrow. I want to get on as far as we can to-day and see for a new
camping-place, as we agreed."

"That's right, sir," said Griggs. "If we stop to get a shot or two at
those fellows they may lead us another way, and what with the shooting,
skinning, and cutting up, we shall make such a hole in the morning that
we must put off our exploring till to-morrow."

"Oh, very well," said Wilton, rather ungraciously; "but when we do want
our joints, mark my words, we shall not be able to get a shot."

Griggs laughed and shook his head.

"Don't agree with you, Mr Wilton," he said. "There goes something
else."

"Eh? Where?" cried Wilton.

"Through the tall grass yonder. I fancy it's deer of some kind;
somethi