im with a chunk o' lead. They're the only ones in these mountains,
an' we won't make any mistake. See that bunch of spruce over there?"

The old hunter pointed to a clump fifty yards beyond the tepee toward the
little lake. Aldous nodded.

"I'll take my blankets over there," continued MacDonald. "You roll yourself
up here, and the tepee'll be between us. You see the system, Johnny? If
they make us a visit during the night we've got 'em between us, and
there'll be some real burying to do in the morning!"

Back under the low-hanging boughs of the dwarf spruce Aldous spread out his
blanket a few minutes later. He had made up his mind not to sleep, and for
hours he lay watchful and waiting, smoking occasionally, with his face
close to the ground so that the odour of tobacco would cling to the earth.
The moon rose until it was straight overhead, flooding the valley in a
golden splendour that he wished Joanne might have seen. Then it began
sinking into the west; slowly at first, and then more swiftly, its radiance
diminished. He looked at his watch before the yellow orb effaced itself
behind the towering peak of a distant mountain. It was a quarter of two.

With deepening darkness, his eyes grew heavier. He closed them for a few
moments at a time; and each time the interval was longer, and it took
greater effort to force himself into wakefulness. Finally he slept. But he
was still subconsciously on guard, and an hour later that consciousness was
beating and pounding within him, urging him to awake. He sat up with a
start and gripped his rifle. An owl was hooting--softly, very softly. There
were four notes. He answered, and a little later MacDonald came like a
shadow out of the gloom. Aldous advanced to meet him, and he noticed that
over the eastern mountains there was a break of gray.

"It's after three, Johnny," MacDonald greeted him. "Build a fire and get
breakfast. Tell Joanne I'm out after another sheep. Until it's good an'
light I'm going to watch from that clump of timber up there. In half an
hour it'll be dawn."

He moved toward the timber, and Aldous set about building a fire. He was
careful not to awaken Joanne. The fire was crackling cheerily when he went
to the lake for water. Returning he saw the faint glow of candlelight in
Joanne's tepee. Five minutes later she appeared, and all thought of danger,
and the discomfort of his sleepless night, passed from him at sight of her.
Her eyes were still a little misty w