"Good eyes you've certainly got, Paul, for I looked that way myself, and if I noticed anything at all I must have believed that object was only a shadow. But it's as plain as print to me now. That's a buffalo bull—his bulk tells us that."
"Shall we ride over and take a squint at the beast?" asked Lanky.
"For one," Paul told him, "I'd like to say I'd seen a genuine wild buffalo on his native ground, and me astride a cow pony."
"Let's go!" was Frank's terse way of saying he found himself of the same mind as the others. No one had to ask Lanky what he wanted to do, since he invariably proved ready for action of any kind.
Accordingly they turned to the left and cantered forward. Already did the cow ponies scent the presence of the lumbering beast near by. This was made evident by the way in which they snorted and took brisk, chopping steps, indicating their extreme excitement.
"They're not used to coming so close to buffaloes," explained Frank. "Fact is, I hardly think any one of the three has ever before glimpsed such a sight as this."
"But their noses have caught the wild animal scent, you can see," Lanky ventured, he being much at home in the doings of four-footed creatures.
"Why doesn't the silly thing start running off?" cried Paul. "I thought they were always reckoned a timid bunch in spite of their bulk and savage-looking mop of hair about their heads."
"Slow up, fellows!" called out Frank just then.
"Why, what's the matter?" demanded Paul, turning toward Frank.