ht of our
camp-fire, and admire its ruddy glow, reflected on the snow-white covers
of our wagons. These were parked in a semi-circle around us, and forcibly
recalled to my mind the stories I had read in my boyhood, of gipsy
encampments upon some grand old English barren.

"Now I call this comfort," said Hal, as he lazily stretched himself upon
a blanket before the fire. "Eight days on the road, and we haven't seen
an Indian. I don't believe there are any. Now what's the use of standing
guard and shivering round the camp half the night, watching for Indians
that never come?"

"I come on first to-night, and shall stand my watch, at any rate," said
Ned. "And before it gets any darker, we'd better drive the mules down to
water."

"Do you think," asked Hal, appealing to me, "that there's any need of
standing guard to-night?"

"Certainly I do," replied I. "It's always best to be on the safe side.
Why not exercise the same precaution to-night that we have since we left
San Antonio? It is impossible to tell how near Indians may be, or when
they will attack us. Travellers on the plains should be prepared for any
emergency."

"True as preachin'," interrupted old Jerry. "They ain't so very fur off,
either. I've seen 'em signalin' all the afternoon, and signalin' allers
means bizness with them red varmints. If we don't see 'em to-night, we
shall afore a great while, and I think--"

"Never mind what you think," interrupted Hal, saucily. "You are always
imagining things that never come to pass. I guess you've been pretty
badly scared some time by Indians."

"Wal, young man, when you've travelled over these plains as many years as
I hev, maybe you'll know more about Injuns than you do now, and maybe you
won't," rejoined Jerry, in a tone of contempt, as he slowly moved away in
the direction of the herd.

Asking Jerry to make sure that the animals were properly secured, I threw
myself down on Hal's blanket, and gazed into the fire.

Jerry and the boys soon returned, saying that the animals were perfectly
safe; but somehow I found it impossible to rid myself of the impression
made by Jerry's casual remark. Calling him to me, I asked him more
particularly about the signals he had seen. His answer did not relieve my
uneasiness, for he said,--

"Them varmints don't make smoke for nothing; and, when you see 'em in so
many directions, it's a sure sign that they're gatherin' for mischief: at
least, that's my 'sperience."

As it