Just as the woman and her son reached their house on the bank of the
river, the giant-thief was coming home too. He chanced to look to the
east, and there he saw, far away, many buffaloes running towards the
foot-hills where the sweet-grass grew. He was very angry, and he cried
loudly to his son, "Where is the dog? Where is the dog?" "I lost him
in the underbrush," said the boy; "he chased a bird and did not come
back." "It was not a bird he chased," said the giant; "it was one of
my buffaloes. I told you he was an evil thing and not to touch him,
but you and your mother would have your way. Now my buffaloes are all
gone." He gnashed his teeth in a great rage, and rushed off to the
hidden cave to see if any buffaloes were left, crying as he went, "I
will kill the dog if I find him." When he reached the cave the Chief
and the youth, still in the form of a dog and a stick, were just
rounding up the last of the buffaloes. The giant rushed at them to
kill the dog and to break the stick, but they sprang upon an old
buffalo and hid in his long hair and, clinging on tightly, the dog bit
the buffalo until the old animal plunged and roared and rushed from
the cave, bearing the Chief and the youth concealed on his back. He
galloped eastward until he reached the herd far away on the prairie,
leaving the giant far behind to make the best of his anger. Then the
Chief and the brave youth took their old form of men, and in high
spirits they drove the herd of buffaloes back to their hungry people
waiting patiently on the plains.