toys. She sat on the ground and wept. Collier stared at the body of the man closest to him trying to recognize who it might be. He wanted to scream or curse. He wanted to weep. He wanted to run but could do nothing. His mind reeled at the horror and savagery. He felt paralyzed by his hatred and fear. He walked slowly through the carnage. He saw a canteen and picked it up. He looked at the first wagon. It was still too hot to approach. He could find no useful food or weapons. He came upon a soldier's hat and gave it to her explaining that she needed the protection from the sun.
   She spoke so softly that he could barely hear her. "What do we do? It's so awful. What do we do?".
   Collier helped her to her feet. "We go on. We walk away from it and we go on."
   She watched him fill the canteens in the river. She felt a fly land on her cheek and quickly brushed it away. She couldn't stand one on her face. She could only think of the bloated bodies and the flies.
   "There is a small ranch about thirty miles due north," he said. "A family named Fox lives there. She's a fine woman. You'll like her."
   "Who?"
   "Mrs. Fox. She lives on a small place about thirty miles north of here."
   "Thirty miles? Shouldn't we stay with the river?"
   "I'm afraid of staying near the trail. I think that we should strike out cross country and get away from the river. The war party will follow the trail looking for others. By going north we can avoid them."
   She nodded. "You know best. I'll go." She was on the verge of tears.
   He knew she was exhausted. He held her against him, her head resting against his chest. "I know how terrible this is for you. We must have courage. We can make it if we keep our heads, move by night, and lay up during the day."
   She choked back the tears. As tough as it was she wanted to live and she would not hold him back. She nodded and took a canteen. "Let's get out of here. I don't want to see any more."
   "There are some hills a few miles north. We'll rest there," he said as he started away. "We should be there by dark if we start now." He led her north away from the river, out onto the prairie.
CHAPTER XII
They slept on bare ground that night without a fire. Jerky from Collier's saddle bags made up their meal. They had walked until dark then stopped and simply lay down. She was drained and fell asleep immediately.
She awoke to Collier's hand gently shaking her.
  "We've got to move!" He whispered.
  It took a moment to get her bearings.
  "Buffalo! They moved in during the night. We've got to be very quiet."
  She saw dark forms moving toward them. "What do we do?"
   He pointed northwest. "We make for that high hill. If they stampede toward us, they'll stomp us into dust!"
   She reached for her hat and pistol. She had barely seized them when she felt Collier tugging at her. Nell gazed at the buffalo in amazement. The great lumbering beasts reached to the horizon to the south. Many were six feet at the shoulders. A musky odor filled the air. She had heard stories of the bison but nothing could have prepared her for the experience of seeing them. It was as though the land was moving as the great herd grazed its way toward her.
   "How many of them are there?" She asked.
   "There are millions of them. Whether we like it or not, they rule this country."
   They moved to the protection of the hill as quickly and as quietly as possible. Collier told her to move in a straight line and not to make any unnecessary movements. When they reached the summit, Collier had her lie down.
   "What do we do now?"
   Collier reclined on the ground beside her and aimed his rifle. "We eat."
   A large cow was in the forefront of the herd no more than a hundred yards away. Nell watched the buffalo
   She spoke so softly that he could barely hear her. "What do we do? It's so awful. What do we do?".
   Collier helped her to her feet. "We go on. We walk away from it and we go on."
   She watched him fill the canteens in the river. She felt a fly land on her cheek and quickly brushed it away. She couldn't stand one on her face. She could only think of the bloated bodies and the flies.
   "There is a small ranch about thirty miles due north," he said. "A family named Fox lives there. She's a fine woman. You'll like her."
   "Who?"
   "Mrs. Fox. She lives on a small place about thirty miles north of here."
   "Thirty miles? Shouldn't we stay with the river?"
   "I'm afraid of staying near the trail. I think that we should strike out cross country and get away from the river. The war party will follow the trail looking for others. By going north we can avoid them."
   She nodded. "You know best. I'll go." She was on the verge of tears.
   He knew she was exhausted. He held her against him, her head resting against his chest. "I know how terrible this is for you. We must have courage. We can make it if we keep our heads, move by night, and lay up during the day."
   She choked back the tears. As tough as it was she wanted to live and she would not hold him back. She nodded and took a canteen. "Let's get out of here. I don't want to see any more."
   "There are some hills a few miles north. We'll rest there," he said as he started away. "We should be there by dark if we start now." He led her north away from the river, out onto the prairie.
CHAPTER XII
They slept on bare ground that night without a fire. Jerky from Collier's saddle bags made up their meal. They had walked until dark then stopped and simply lay down. She was drained and fell asleep immediately.
She awoke to Collier's hand gently shaking her.
  "We've got to move!" He whispered.
  It took a moment to get her bearings.
  "Buffalo! They moved in during the night. We've got to be very quiet."
  She saw dark forms moving toward them. "What do we do?"
   He pointed northwest. "We make for that high hill. If they stampede toward us, they'll stomp us into dust!"
   She reached for her hat and pistol. She had barely seized them when she felt Collier tugging at her. Nell gazed at the buffalo in amazement. The great lumbering beasts reached to the horizon to the south. Many were six feet at the shoulders. A musky odor filled the air. She had heard stories of the bison but nothing could have prepared her for the experience of seeing them. It was as though the land was moving as the great herd grazed its way toward her.
   "How many of them are there?" She asked.
   "There are millions of them. Whether we like it or not, they rule this country."
   They moved to the protection of the hill as quickly and as quietly as possible. Collier told her to move in a straight line and not to make any unnecessary movements. When they reached the summit, Collier had her lie down.
   "What do we do now?"
   Collier reclined on the ground beside her and aimed his rifle. "We eat."
   A large cow was in the forefront of the herd no more than a hundred yards away. Nell watched the buffalo
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