e Whipple gang; and
an Indian prowler has been shot, some more of the Whipple gang. Boys,
the war is on, and it depends on us whether it is going to last all
winter and cause us to lose all our cattle, or whether we are going to
be able to stamp it out right now. Which shall it be?"

"I reckon we'd better get busy. It'll be easier ter do the job now than
fuss along with it all winter," said Pike Bander, who was an old
Northern cow-puncher, and had had lots of experience with the Indians in
Montana, the Dakotas, and Wyoming.

"I think you're right, Pike," said Ted. "And now off to bed with you.
There'll be something doing to-morrow."

In half an hour the house was dark, and every one was asleep.

The moon which had been shining brightly during the early part of the
night had become obscured by a heavy bank of snow clouds, which had been
driven over the mountains by a north wind, and it had grown much darker
outside.

In his sleep Ted seemed to hear the well-known voice of Sultan,
whinnying shrilly. It was a dream, and Ted tossed uneasily. But again
and again he heard Sultan's voice. It had a note of alarm in it, and Ted
knew that Sultan seldom gave an alarm of this sort unless something
serious was the matter. Ted's dream was of Indians, and the call of
Sultan was very natural, for the little black stallion hated Indians,
and whenever one came within smelling distance of him he grew uneasy and
fretful, and always gave voice to his fear.

The dream had such a disquieting influence on Ted that it woke him, and
he sat up in bed grinning to himself in the dark to find that, after
all, it was only a dream, and that he was safe in bed.

But what was that?

He was awake now, and he distinctly heard Sultan. Then he had heard his
pet give a warning, even in his dream.

Leaping from bed, Ted groped around the room, getting into his clothes,
without lighting the lamp.

Grasping his rifle from the corner, and buckling on his belt and
holster, he left the room.

As he passed Clay's room he entered and shook the sleeping Kentuckian,
who was on the floor with a bound. Ted told him of the continued voicing
of an alarm by Sultan, and Clay hurriedly dressed.

They passed into the living room, and Ted went to the windows on one
side, while Clay went to the other side.

Hidden by the curtains, they stood looking out on the snow-covered
plain.

"Hist!" It was Clay trying to attract Ted's attention.

Ted went swiftly to hi