usehold (or perhaps wagonhold) not yet introduced
in this history. Old Blacky was the mate of Old Browny, and
the two made up our team of horses. Old Browny was a very
well-behaved, respectable old nag, extremely fond of quiet and
oats. He invariably slept all night, and usually much of the day;
he was a fit companion for our dog. It was the firm belief of all
on board that Old Browny could sleep anywhere on a fairly level
stretch of road without stopping.

But Old Blacky was another sort of beast. He didn't seem to
require any sleep at all. What Old Blacky wanted was food. He
loved to sit up all night and eat, and keep us awake. He seldom
even lay down at night, but would moon about the camp and blunder
against things, fall over the wagon-tongue, and otherwise
misbehave. Sometimes when we camped where the grass was not just
to his liking he would put his head into the wagon and help
himself to a mouthful of bedquilt or a bite of pillow. He was
little but an appetite mounted on four legs, and next to food he
loved a fight. Besides the name of Old Blacky, we also knew him
as the Blacksmith's Pet; but this will have to be explained later
on.

On this first morning, just as it was becoming light in the
east, Old Blacky began to make his toilet by rubbing his shoulder
against one corner of the wagon. As he was large and heavy, and
rubbed as hard as he could, he soon had the wagon tossing about
like a boat; and as the easiest way out of it, we decided to get
up. It was cool and dewy, with the larger stars still shining
faintly. We found Jack under the wagon. Ollie stirred him up, and
said:

[Illustration: Plan for Rousing a Sound Sleeper]

"See any varmints in the night, Uncle Jack?"

"Yes," answered Jack, as he unrolled himself from his
blanket. "Or at least I felt one. That disgraceful Old Blacky
nibbled at my ear twice. The first time I thought it was nothing
less than a bear."

"Did he disturb Snoozer?"

"I guess nothing ever disturbs Snoozer. He never moved all
night. How's the firewood department, Ollie?"

"All right," replied Ollie. "Got up enough last night."

"Then build the fire while I get breakfast."

This pleased Ollie, and he soon had a good fire going. I
caught Old Blacky, who had started off to walk around the lake,
woke up Old Browny, who was sleeping peacefully with his
nose resting on the ground, quieted the pony, who was still
suspicious, with a few pats on the neck,