"Get your gun, and load up as fast as you can!" said Bob, himself suiting the action to the word. "But see, he is dead!" expostulated the other, pointing to the buffalo, which by now had ceased to struggle and lay quite still. "Never mind. Load the gun as fast as you can!" repeated Bob. "A hunter with an empty shooting-iron is an easy mark for every prowling redskin. Surely Pat has said that to us many times. And we now know there are Indians around here." Thus urged, the younger boy hastened to comply. "Just to think," he could not help saying, when this important business had been attended to, and both of the guns were placed in shape for further service, "we've actually brought down a big buffalo. And it is the first one shot by any of our party. But all the honor is yours, Bob. If it had been left to me perhaps the old sinner might have got me. I was getting blown to a certainty." "But we can share the honor, Sandy; for if you had not kept running round and round as you did, how else could I have shot him?" That was Bob's generous way, and Sandy knew it would be utterly useless trying to escape taking half the credit. "You watch while I use the knife and take off the skin," Bob went on; for he knew that the hide, if properly cured, would make a valuable robe, to insure warmth when the winter snows came again. "And watch out for Indians," he added suggestively. These boys had served their apprenticeship at trapping animals, and there was little in the science of removing and preserving pelts that they did not know. So now, while Bob had never before seen a dead buffalo, and only had a glimpse of a live one close at hand, he knew just how to go to work. "Plenty of good meat here for the whole camp," remarked Sandy, with kindling eyes, as he saw the large buffalo hams exposed by the removal of the hide. "Yes, and they say it is fine. If it can beat that bear we shot early last winter, before all its fat was gone, I'll be glad we ran across him," Bob remarked, as he now prepared to cut the carcass up, so that the best portions might be reserved. "I wonder when the folks will be along?" said the younger lad, allowing his gaze to travel between the thick trees in that quarter where it might be expected the pack-horses would sooner or later appear. "Listen!" remarked Bob just then, raising his head, "I thought I heard a shout far away." Sandy began to look anxious. "Oh! I hope nothing has gone wrong," he observed. "Nonsense!" expostulated the other, "what could have happened? Just because we saw an Indian, and he tried to put an arrow in one of us, is no sign of danger to the camp. The only thing that bothers me is that perhaps they have halted far back there for the night. In that event, see where we would have to carry all this meat." "We might hang it up out of reach of wolves, and bring some of the men, with a horse, to tote it in," suggested Sandy.