mos' 'ome, 'Essie?"

"We'll be there soon," I answered, tremulously. We saw or heard
nothing more of the wolves, which were of that cowardly species--a
compromise between the skulking coyote and the savage gray wolf, known
as "Loafers." A loafer very seldom attacks man, but he will, if
numerous enough, run down and destroy cattle--sometimes horses. In
this instance it was undoubtedly the scent of the game in the wagon
that attracted them. Once attracted and bent on capture, they are as
fiercely determined as their gray cousins, and but for the fortunate
accident of Ralph's using a duck for a projectile they would have kept
up the chase until the horses were exhausted, and they were able to
help themselves.

It was after nine when we reached home, and never had home seemed
a dearer or safer place. The chores all done, Ralph asleep in his
little crib, and Guard sleeping the sleep of the just on the kitchen
doorstep, Jessie and I sat down by the table to eat a belated supper,
and count our hard-won gains. The melon crop was all sold, and it had
netted us forty dollars.

CHAPTER XVI

A SLEEPLESS NIGHT

It was close upon the beginning of another day before Jessie and I got
to bed, but, late as it was, I could not sleep.

Our pressing financial problem was so constantly in my thoughts that
now, in my weariness, I found myself unable to dismiss it. We had
collected some money, but not enough--not enough! I turned and tossed
restlessly. Now that the time for proving up was so close at hand an
increasing terror of failure grew upon me. It did not seem to me that
I should be able to endure it if we were obliged to give up our home.
Forty dollars! In the stillness of the night that sum, as I reflected
upon it, dwindled into insignificance. I reviewed all of our monetary
transactions that I could think of, and, adding up the sum total, half
convinced myself that we must have made a mistake in the counting that
evening.

"I'm quite sure that there's more than forty dollars," I told myself,
turning over my hot pillow in search of a cooler side, and giving it a
vigorous shake. "I'm quite sure! There's the money for Mr. Horton's
mending, that was forty cents; and Miss Jones's wrapper was two
dollars; and that setting of eggs that I sold to Jennie Speers--I
don't remember whether they were two dollars or only fifty cents. Oh,
dear! And there was Cleo's calf; that was--I don't remember how much
it was!"

The longer I