When summer came, Fleetfoot and Flaker watched the bison from day to day. The wolves, too, watched the bison. One day the boys saw two wolves hunt a bison that had strayed from the herd.
The wolves walked boldly up toward the bison until they were only a few paces away. Then they went cautiously.
The bison paid no attention at first; but when the wolves came closer, he stamped his foot and shook his horns. Any animal could know that the bison meant, “It is dangerous here. Keep away!”
But the wolves had a plan and they carried it out. The smaller wolf kept the bison’s attention by making believe attack from the front. This gave the big wolf a chance; and he cut the large muscles of the bison’s knees with his sharp teeth. The bison was thus crippled so badly that the wolves were more than a match for him.
“I wonder if we could get a bison,” said Flaker as the boys watched the wolves at their feast.
“Let’s try,” said Fleetfoot.
“But how can we get close up,” said Flaker, “without frightening the bison away?”
“Let’s dress in wolf-skins,” said Fleetfoot, “and make believe we are wolves.”
And the boys dressed in wolf-skins and took their best hunting knives. They watched the herd until they saw a large bison stray away. Then the boys approached the bison, and they looked so much like wolves that they got very close before the bison threatened with his horns.
Then the boys made the attack. Flaker took the part of the little wolf and attacked the bison’s head. Fleetfoot took the part of the big wolf and tried to cripple the bison.