utside," said Bud. "And my fellers would
work in pairs. I should think Ben's men could do their best work from
the cupola on top o' ther house, usin' ther major's spyglass ter keep
tabs on ther horizon in every direction. At night, we can only watch
close to the house outside."

"That sounds all right. Get your first guard established at once. We
don't know how close they may be to us right now."

Kit was sent into the cupola with the spyglass and a Winchester with its
magazine full, to take the first watch.

It was not necessary to give Kit any instructions, for he was a most
intelligent guard.

He had not been on watch more than an hour when he whistled to Ted, who
was crossing the yard on his way to the corral.

"What is it?" said Ted, stopping and looking up.

"I wish you'd come up here a moment. I see something which puzzles me
mightily. It's kind of uncanny," replied Kit.

Ted laughed at Kit's fancy, but went into the house and climbed into the
cupola.

"What is it?" he asked, taking his place beside Kit.

"Take the glass and look along my arm to where my finger is pointing,
and tell me what you see."

Ted did so, and, after looking for several moments, took down the glass
and said:

"It looks to me like a wounded wolf. I never saw a wolf make such
strange motions."

"Quick! Look again. What do you see?"

"By Jove!" said Ted slowly. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have
believed it. That is a wolf all right, but it seems to be waving
something white at us. It doesn't seem to be able to move along. I
wonder what it is."

"Some trick, probably. Remember what Frederic Caruthers said about the
Gray Wolves' visit, and the cleverness of the fellows?"

"Yes. What do you think of it?"

"I think it is a lure to excite our curiosity, and get us to go out
there and fall into a trap."

"That sounds reasonable."

"You will notice that the wolf is just over the top of a rise on the
prairie. The question is, What is beyond the rise, in the hollow?"

"I'm going out to find out."

"I wouldn't if I were you, Ted."

"Why?"

"I'm afraid it's a trap, and that you'll fall into it."

"We'll never find out what it is if we don't go out there."

"That's a cinch, and that's just what they want you to do."

"Well, I'm going."

Kit knew that when Ted said anything in the tone of voice he had just
used he meant it, and that it was useless to argue with him.

"All right, go as far as you like," he said. "I'