unting cry.

The savage peal ripped through the plaintive chant of the sheep as the
prow of a canoe cuts sluggish water, and traveling against the current
of sound it reached the ears of the camp tender who rolled over in his
blankets and cursed. There was a half-minute cessation of the baa and
blat, and before it was resumed the tender had prodded the two herders
into wakefulness.

"Better sleep with one eye open," he advised. "There's a wolf in the
hills. Just crossing through, mebbe--but anyhow you better stay awake to
hold the sheep while I fire a shot to scare him off if he comes too
close. He'll put 'em off the bed ground and scatter 'em if he slips past
the dogs."

The cry sounded again, this time less than a mile away, and a clamor of
coyote howls rose with it.

"Coyotes!" the tender exclaimed. "Night shooting won't scare those
cunning devils off,--they know a man can't see at night. It sounds like
they was running in a pack, and enough of 'em to make a noise like as if
the whole damn coyote nation had took to the hills. Wonder how come
they're pranking round with a wolf? They'll likely only hang along to
cut out some strays--but if they do come in close in a mob like that,
it's good night, sheep! Them shaller-brained woollies will take to the
peaks."

The sheep had risen from their beds and were huddled close. The tender
and herders stood with drawn guns and the three dogs bristled savagely
and turned their gaze toward the timbered slope that rose on one side of
the open side-hill bench that served as a bed ground. There was a
movement among the sheep; the fleecy mass buckled and surged as those on
the outer edge turned and sought safety by plowing toward the
close-packed center. The three men stationed themselves in a triangle
three hundred yards apart, hoping to steady the sheep and hold them. The
dogs circled swiftly round the milling horde, driving merciless teeth
into every panic-stricken sheep who sought to quit the flock. The whole
mass suddenly crowded off to one side and all three dogs sped round to
hold them.

One herder saw a flitting streak leave the timber edge and glide toward
the sheep; another; there was no moon and he could not be sure. His gun
barked twice as a dozen shadowy forms crossed the open, strung out for
two hundred yards. Then hell broke loose on the bed ground.

The fear-crazed horde streamed past the other herder and the tender.
They shouted and struck out with heavy staff