r they
happened to be, Tom threw off his boots and tumbled into his bunk. Once
during the night he was aroused by somebody coming in and informing Mr.
Kelley that it was twelve o'clock; then there was a stir of changing
watches and the camp became silent again. Or no; it wasn't silent. Just
after the watches had been changed (for men had to keep track of the
cattle during the night and see that nothing happened to stampede them)
Tom was treated to a wolf serenade. It began faint and far off, and then
all on a sudden broke out so fiercely that it seemed as if the pack had
surrounded the cabin and were about to make an assault upon it.

"What was that?" asked Tom, starting up in alarm.

"It's the pesky coyotes," said Monroe, who was taking off his boots.
"We're always glad to hear them, for then we know that there is nothing
else about."

"What else do you think might be about?" said Tom, wondering how any
lone hunter could find any consolation in such a dismal serenade.

"Indians," said the cowboy shortly. "Good-night."

After that Tom did not sleep very soundly, for at times it seemed to him
that some of the fierce animals had come to the door, which stood wide
open all this while, and were about to come in. Once he was sure he
heard them on top of the cabin, but the others slept on and paid no
attention to it, and finally Tom became somewhat accustomed to it. He
did not think he had closed his eyes at all in slumber, but when he
awoke to a full sense of what was going on, he found that there were
only two men left in the cabin, Mr. Parsons and his cook. The former sat
on the edge of his bunk pulling on his boots, and the cook was busy with
his frying-pan.

"Hallo, youngster!" said Mr. Parsons cheerfully. "You'll have to get up
earlier than this if you're going to strike a gold mine. Why, it must be
close on to six o'clock."

"I was awfully tired last night, and the wolves kept me awake," said
Tom. "I don't see how anybody can sleep with such a din in his ears."

"The time may come when you will be glad to hear them. If there are any
Indians around, you won't hear them; just the minute the Indians break
loose the wolves all seem to go into their holes; but when the Indians
are whipped, they are out in full force."

Tom noticed that the men seemed to be in a hurry, and he lost no time in
packing his outfit. He ate breakfast when Mr. Parsons did, sitting down
to it without any invitation from anybody, swallowed