through the fields to Judson's, and then, ah, then, of his acceptance of
the invitation to go out into the darkness of the night to watch the fun
of flogging a farmer. It all passed hazily through his sleep-clogged
brain. He could now see it all just as it happened, the firing of
rifles, his own hasty retreat, the running conversation of old Peter
Judson, as he encouraged him to keep up a continuous fire on the dark
spots in the road behind them; then Peter's exclamation that the end of
his finger had been shot away by the murderous marksmen, the escape, and
finally the return to his own cabin.

He could not keep these events out of his memory, they were there as
dark spots and would remain so forever. Reaching for his coat, he made
the discovery that he had narrowly escaped death, for there, a half-inch
from the second button from the top, was the tell-tale hole made by a
Winchester bullet. He could remember now just when the bullet which had
nearly taken his life flew by him. He had heard the "zing!" and the
"swish!" but had not suspected that it came so close to boring a hole
through his heart. A cold shudder ran over him as he thought of the
close proximity to death. Ah, well, that was life in the mountains, that
was the fulfillment of the "call of the wilds," and he must not now
complain. Wade seemed stupefied. All the while he dreamed the good old
brown dog looked longingly up into his careworn face, as if to say,
"What's the matter, master?" But there was no reply.

Rover whisked about him from one side to the other, in a vain effort to
attract him, but the result was the same, the mystic stupefaction was on
him, and he cared not for the dog just then. Of a sudden Rover ran out
of the door, baying furiously. Wade looked out and discovered the reason
for Rover's action. From toward the city came three men on horseback,
riding leisurely. Wade watched them closely as they came on. They were
strangers so far as he could tell from the distance that separated them.
When they were just opposite the cabin they halted, Wade still watching
them. Their actions now seemed a little strange, for one rode around the
other two and stood near the gate. Rover was tearing up the earth in his
anxiety to get at them. The man near the gate cried out loudly, and
Wade, unconscious of lurking danger, went out in answer to the call,
unarmed. He had not seen the necessity of arming himself to meet three
strangers in bright noonday. The ot