His trained eyes saw their chests rising and falling, and he knew that they were far away in the land of Nowhere.
Then he extended his walk back and forth a little further, scanning carefully the dusky plain.
A light wind sprang up after a while, and it brought a low but heavy and measured tread to his ears.

The Panther's first impulse was to awaken his friends, because this might be the band of Urrea, but he hesitated a moment, and then lay down with his ear to the earth.

When he rose his uneasiness had departed and he resumed his walk back and forth.

He had heard that tread before many times and, now that it was coming nearer, he could not mistake it, but, as the measured beat indicated that it would pass to one side, it bore no threat for his comrades or himself.
The Panther did not stop his walk as from a distance of a few hundred yards he watched the great buffalo herd go by.

The sound was so steady and regular that Ned and Obed were not awakened nor were the horses disturbed.