u'll follow the old freight trail all the way," he said,
"but you may not see three teams the whole distance, because
since the railroad got nearer it isn't used. You'll find an old
stage station about every fifteen or seventeen miles, with
probably one man in charge. You may see a horse-thief or two, or
something of that sort. S'ciety ain't what it ought to be 'round
a reservation gen'rally."

[Illustration: The Deserted Ranch]

Just before the sun sank behind the mountains, which lay like
low black clouds to the west, we came to a little ranch standing
alone on the prairie. The door was open, and it seemed to be
deserted, though there was a rude bed inside. There was a good
well of water, and we decided to camp near it for the night,
especially as the grass was good. There was no other house in
sight. Bedtime arrived, and no one came to the ranch.

"I think I'll just sleep in that house tonight," said Jack,
"and see how it seems. I'll leave the door open, so as not to
have too much luxury at first."

So he went to bed in the shanty, taking Snoozer along, and
leaving the wagon to Ollie and me.

We must have been asleep three or four hours when I was
awakened by the loud barking of a dog. I started up and began
unfastening the front end of the cover. Just then I heard the
pony snort in terror; and then followed a shot from a gun and the
sound of horses galloping away. As I put my head out, Jack
called, excitedly:

"Some men were trying to get the pony. They'd have done it,
too, if Snoozer hadn't barked and scared them away."

I was out of the wagon by this time, and found the pony
trembling at the end of her picket-line as near the wagon as she
could get. Snoozer kept barking as if he couldn't stop.

"Did they shoot at you, Jack?" I asked.

"No, I guess not. I think they just blazed away for fun. They
went off toward the Reservation. Some of Gene's poor s'ciety, I
suppose."

It took half an hour to get the frightened pony and indignant
dog quieted; and perhaps it was longer than that before we again
got to sleep.

XII: HOMEWARD BOUND

"Snoozer shall have a pancake medal."

This was the first thing Ollie and I heard in the morning,
and it was Jack's voice addressing the hero of the night before.
We speedily rolled out, and agreed with Jack that Snoozer must be
suitably rewarded, he seemed fully to understand the importance
of his action in barking at the right moment, and for th