d himself to
unvexed sleep. He could steal an hour or two from the sheep in the
early morning, he told himself, as he felt the sweet restfulness of
slumber sweeping over him; the helpless creatures would remain on the
bedding-ground long after sunrise if he did not wake, waiting for him
to come and set them about the great business of their lives. They
hadn't sense enough to range out and feed themselves without the
direction of man's guiding hand.

Mackenzie had dipped but a little way into his refreshing rest when
the alarmed barking of his dogs woke him with such sudden wrench that
it ached. He sat up, senses drenched in sleep for a struggling moment,
groping for his rifle. The dogs went charging up the slope toward the
wagon, the canvas top of which he could see indistinctly on the
hillside through the dark.

As Mackenzie came to his feet, fully awake and on edge, the dogs
mouthed their cries as if they closed in on the disturber of the night
at close quarters. Mackenzie heard blows, a yelp from a disabled dog,
and retreat toward him of those that remained unhurt. He fired a shot,
aiming high, running toward the wagon.

Again the dogs charged, two of them, only, out of the three, and again
there was the sound of thick, rapid blows. One dog came back to its
master, pressing against his legs for courage. Mackenzie shouted,
hoping to draw the intruder into revealing himself, not wanting the
blood of even a rascal such as the night-prowler on his hands through
a chance shot into the dark. There was no answer, no sound from the
deep blackness that pressed like troubled waters close to the ground.

The dog clung near to Mackenzie's side, his growling deep in his
throat. Mackenzie could feel the beast tremble as it pressed against
him, and bent to caress it and give it confidence. At his reassuring
touch the beast bounded forward to the charge again, only to come
yelping back, and continue on down the hill toward the flock.

Mackenzie fired again, dodging quickly behind a clump of bushes after
the flash of his gun. As he crouched there, peering and straining
ahead into the dark, strong hands laid hold of him, and tore his rifle
away from him and flung him to the ground. One came running from the
wagon, low words passed between the man who held Mackenzie pinned to
the ground, knees astride him, his hands doubled back against his chin
in a grip that was like fetters. This one who arrived in haste groped
around until he