ccupants have moved out, and devouring every scrap of
eatables that may have been left behind. They will, even, sometimes
steal into the camp by night, and appropriate the very morsel which the
hunter had designed for his breakfast in the morning. This sometimes
leads to a spirit of retaliation; and the indignant hunter, growing less
provident of his powder and lead, cracks away until he has laid several
of them stretched along the grass.

They are more numerous than any other species of American wolves; and on
this account--having so many mouths to feed, and so many stomachs to
satisfy--they often suffer from extreme hunger. Then, but not till
then, they will eat fruits, roots, and vegetables--in short, anything
that may sustain life.

These wolves take their trivial name from their being met with
principally on the great prairies of the west--although other species of
American wolves are found in the prairie country as well as they. They
are sometimes called "barking" wolves; because, as we have noticed, the
first two or three notes of their howl resemble the bark of a dog. It
ends, however, in a prolonged and disagreeable scream.

"I am glad it is they," said Lucien, in reply to Basil's remark. "It is
well it is no worse. I was afraid it was our friends, the javalies, who
had come to pay us a visit."

"Bad enough as it is," said Basil. "We shall now have to keep awake,
and guard the meat, or these skulking jackals would not leave us an
ounce of it by morning."

"That is true enough," replied Lucien; "but we need not all watch. You
and Francois go to sleep. I'll stand sentry."

"No," responded Basil. "Go _you_ and Francois to sleep. Let me keep
watch."

"Brothers," said Francois, "I am not a bit sleepy; let me be the sentry.
I'll keep 'em off."

"No, no," exclaimed Basil and Lucien, in a breath, "I--I."

It was finally agreed that Basil should take the watch for a couple of
hours or so--until he became sleepy--when he was to awake and be
relieved by Lucien; who, in his turn, could arouse Francois. This being
arranged, the two latter wrapped themselves in their blankets and lay
down again, while Basil sat alone, now gazing into the fire, and then
into the gloomy darkness beyond.

Both Lucien and Francois, notwithstanding the declaration of the latter,
were soon snoring like a brace of tops. They had had an early awaking
by the bear-scrape of the previous morning; besides, they had been at
wor