t blaze free from the blinding smoke emitted by
burning wood, seemed to turn the waggon and trees into gold.

"I'll take the first watch, my boys," said Mr Rogers, who, after their
hearty supper, had read his sons a lecture about the necessity for care
in hunting, "for," said he, "but for the dogs your lives would certainly
have been sacrificed."

"Yes, father, we'll be more careful; but how is it the dogs have not
come back?"

"They overtook and pulled down one of the buffaloes," said Mr Rogers.
"They will glut themselves, and, after a long sleep, take up our trail
and follow us. I dare say they'll be here to-morrow."

The boys, who were fagged out, gladly crept into the waggon, the last
thing they saw being Dinny putting some pieces of buffalo flesh and half
a pail of water in the big pot, so as to let it stew by the fire all
night. Then they drew up the canvas curtains of their tent-bed as they
called it, leaving Mr Rogers and Peter to keep up the fire, and to call
them in four hours' time, the boys having begged that they might keep
one of the watches together.

They were fast asleep directly, and in five minutes' time--so Jack
declared--Mr Rogers aroused them to relieve guard.

"Come, boys," he said, "be quick. Do you know how long you've been
asleep?"

"Five minutes," said Jack, sleepily.

"Nearly five hours, sir."

"Then they weren't good measure," grumbled Jack.

"There's plenty of wood, Dick," said Mr Rogers, "and I'd keep up a good
blazing fire. I have not heard a sound; but if you are alarmed, a piece
of blazing wood thrown in the direction is better than firing at random;
but keep your rifles ready."

These words drove drowsy sleep from the boys' eyelids, and clambering
out of the waggon, the fresh cold night air finished the task.

They saw Mr Rogers climb into the waggon and their black followers
crawl under it; then taking the rifles, they saw to there being a ball
cartridge in each, and big slugs in the shot barrel; and after throwing
on a few sticks to make the fire blaze, they walked slowly up and down.

"How dark and strange the forest looks, Jack," said Dick, "I say, I'm
not ashamed to say that it does make one feel timid."

"It makes two feel timid," said Jack, sturdily. "Look at the dark
shadows the fire throws. Why it almost looks as if there were all sorts
of horrible creatures watching us. If I didn't feel that father had
been sitting here watching, and wasn't afraid I'd