ere satisfied with the way guard was kept at night, and he
believed that a little example was worth a deal of precept. On his way
back to his own part of the encampment he dropped over to pay a short
visit to some tenderfeet, two of whom were to mount guard that night.
Jim Ogden, sauntering past, discovered him and wandered over to borrow a
pipeful of tobacco.

"Wall," said Ogden, seating himself before the cheerful fire, "'twon't
be long now afore we git inter buffaler country, an' kin eat food as is
food. Arter ye sink yer teeth inter fat cow an' chaw a tongue or two,
ye'll shore forgit what settlement beef tastes like. That right, Hank?"

"It's shore amazin' how much roast hump ribs a man kin store away
without feelin' it," replied Hank. "But thar's allus one drawback ter
gittin' inter th' buffaler range; whar ye find buffaler ye find Injuns,
an' nobody kin tell what an Injun's goin' ter do. If they only try ter
stampede yer critters yer gittin' off easy. Take a Pawnee war-party,
headin' fer th' Comanche or Kiowa country, fer instance. Thar off fer
ter steal hosses; but thar primed ter fight. If thar strong enough a
caravan'll look good ter 'em. One thing ye want ter remember: if th'
Injuns ain't strong, don't ye pull trigger too quick; as long as yer
rifle's loaded thar'll be plumb respectful, but soon's she's empty, look
out."

"I've been expecting to see them before this," said one of the hosts.

"Wall, from now on mebby ye won't have ter strain yer eyes," Hank
remarked. "They like these hyar timber fringes, whar they kin sneak
right up under yer nose. They got one thing in thar favor, in attackin'
at night; th' twang o' a bowstring ain't heard very fur; but onct ye
hear it ye'll never fergit th' sound. Ain't that so, Jim?"

Jim nodded. "Fer one, I'm keepin' an eye open from now on. Wall, reckon
I'll be movin' on."

"Where do you expect to run into Indians?" asked one of the men near the
fire.

Jim paused, half turned and seemed to be reflecting. "'Most any time,
now. Shore ter git signs o' 'em at th' little Arkansas, couple o' days
from now. May run inter 'em at Turkey Creek, tomorrow night."

Hank arose, emptied his pipe, and looked at Jim. "Jine ye, fur's our
fire," he said, and the two friends strolled away. They had not been
gone long when two shadowy figures met and stopped not far from the
tenderfeet's fire, and held a low-voiced conversation, none of which,
however, was too low to be overheard at