up.

"What sound was that, Sass?" he asked.

"Blackfeet are not far off, I guess," was the answer.

Loraine, who had been unable to sleep, hearing what was said, came out
of his tent.

"Is there a chance of the camp being attacked?" he asked.

"They'll not attack the camp, but they'll steal our horses if they can,"
answered Burnett.

"Depend on that; if we don't keep a look-out they'll have half of them
away before morning," observed Sass; and turning to Loraine, he added,
"You said just now that you caught sight of a figure on the top of the
hill, and as that was not Greensnake or me, I have a notion that it was
one of the Blackfeet."

"Why didn't you tell me of that before?" inquired Burnett.

"Because I thought I was mistaken, and that it was not of sufficient
consequence to arouse you," answered Loraine.

"It may be of the greatest importance; even now the rascals may have
enticed off some of our horses," exclaimed Burnett, taking his gun, and
going up to where the men lay asleep.

A light touch on the shoulder, and a whisper in the ear, were sufficient
to arouse them. He having also called up the Doctor and the two clerks,
hurried on to where the men were on watch outside. They also had heard
the sounds, and were on the alert. They were certain that as yet all
the horses were safe. They were joined by most of the other men; two or
three only, by Burnett's orders, having remained behind to extinguish
the fires.

Just at this juncture several horses, feeding on the rich pasture not a
hundred yards off, came galloping up, and would have passed the camp had
not the men rushed out and stopped them. This proved without doubt that
enemies were in the neighbourhood. Accordingly, several men,
well-armed, went out and brought up the remainder of the horses, which
they at once tethered either to the carts or to stakes firmly fixed in
the ground; then each with his gun loaded with buck-shot, crawled out
through the long grass, so that they could not be seen, even by the
sharp eyes of the Blackfeet, and arranged themselves in a circle at the
distance of about eighty yards from the camp. The night was dark, and
perfect silence was maintained, so that even the most watchful enemy
could not have discovered what the travellers were about.

Burnett having thus made all necessary arrangements for the security of
the camp, directed Allan Keith and Maloney each to take his turn in
watching, and again lay down, hi