The next time he awakened he felt much better and stronger. There was a queer feeling in his shoulder, too. It pained him some, but not as much as at first, and, when he managed to get a look at it, he saw that the lump was gone.
“Hurray!” cried Shaggo, in buffalo talk, of course. “That big lump melted away while I slept! I wonder how it happened? Anyhow, I’m glad. Now if those ropes were only off my legs—”
He kicked out a little with his hind feet. To his surprise his legs were no longer tied. His front ones were also free. There was still a queer smell in his nose, and on his shoulder was a white rag. Shaggo tried to reach around and pull it off with his teeth, but could not.
Then he noticed on the floor of his cage, in front of him, a pail of something that smelled very good. It was a mixture of hay, oats, wheat and bran, stirred up in warm water and a little salt, and Shaggo felt so hungry that he ate it all up.
“My, but that was good!” said the buffalo to himself. “I believe I can stand up now. I feel much stronger.”
Shaggo managed to scramble to his feet. He was not as strong as he had thought, for he swayed from side to side as a baby does when it is learning to walk. But, after a while, when he had eaten a little hay and taken some water, Shaggo began to feel his strength coming back to him.
He took a few steps, but was soon glad enough to lie down again.
“I guess I’m cured of the rheumatism, or indigestion, or whatever was the matter with me,” thought the mighty buffalo, “but I must go easy. I can’t trot around my cage yet. I must wait until I am a little stronger.”
Shaggo went to sleep again, and he must have slept all day and all night, for when he awakened once more the sun was again shining in his cage. He felt much stronger now, and when he walked about, his shoulder, though a little stiff, did not pain nearly so much.
“Hello there, Shaggo!” called Dido, the dancing bear, from his cage. “How are you feeling?”