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At that plain invitation Jimmy began to make his blanket ready, for he never liked seeing any one crawl in ahead of him any more than he did to be the first one up in the morning.
Amos still sat there. Ned, looking at the boy, saw that there was a little frown on his forehead, as though he did not exactly like something or other.
Whats wrong, Amos? he asked, quietly.
The breeze, it is no stronger than before, you can see, Ned, the kid puncher replied, as he held up his wet forefinger, after the fashion of range riders and plainsmen in general.
Thats true enough, replied the scout master, always willing to pick up points in woodcraft, for he did not pretend to know everything there was going.
But listen! added Amos; it is much louder now, you see.
Ned became intensely interested at once.
You are right, he remarked, the sound of that wolfish howling does come three times as loud as in the start, and yet the wind couldnt be the reason of that. Do you know what makes it, Amos?
I could give a guess, mebbe.
As how? continued Ned, while Jack and Jimmy and Harry all stopped their preparations for fixing their blankets to suit their individual wants, in order to hear what the kid puncher would say.
When I was over there at the wolf ranch, Amos commenced, I remember now that I noticed the pen looked old and weak. I asked the hunter about it, and he said itd hold, he guessed; that wolves, they didnt have the intelligence of hosses, or even cattle, so as to make a combined rush at a weak place.
Well? Ned remarked, as Amos paused.
It might be that somethin happened to make that weak place in the big pen give way, and the whole pack is loose, acomin for the river, hungry as all get-out, and ready to attack anything that walks on two legs, because they are nearly starved!
When Amos gave this as his opinion, the scouts who had been getting their blankets ready for a quiet nights sleep seemed suddenly to lose all interest in the proceedings. Instead Jimmy started reaching around him for that new Marlin repeating rifle, which had already proven its worth on several occasions.
Whew! they could hear him saying, almost breathlessly to himself; thirty hungry wolves, all at a pop, hey? Thats what I call crowding the mourners. I may be set on knockin over an occasional critter when I run across the same; but say, I aint so greedy as all that. Think Im in the wholesale line, do you? Well, youve got another guess acomin to you, thats all!
CHAPTER VI. THE WOLF PACK
Jimmy was not the only one now who had seized hold of his gun, for the other three scouts could be seen gripping their rifles. Only poor Amos was without his rifle, though he carried a revolver, cowboy fashion, attached to his belt.
Its out of the question for us to get away, replied the scout master; because we only have three poor burros, and theyd be overtaken before theyd gone a mile.
Yes, added Jimmy, and dont forget theres four of us, Ned, darlint.
Amos could skip out if he feels like it, because his pony has fleet heels, and might outrun the wolf pack? Jack suggested.
But all the same Amos is agoin
to hang around, and take pot luck with the rest of the bunch, remarked the kid puncher, quietly.
But how about the animals, asked Harry, nervously; do we leave them to be pulled down by the savage beasts of prey? All of us could shinny up some of these trees, but burros cant climb.
Huh, Ive seen the time when I thought they could do everything but fly, grunted Jimmy; and I wasnt so sure about that, either.
We might bring them in close and stand guard over the poor things, Ned went on to say.
At that they hurried to where the four animals were tethered. Already something seemed to have told the burros and the calico pony that danger hovered in that breeze, for they were beginning to show signs of excitement, and it was not such an easy job after all to lead them in close to the dying camp fire.
Hastily they were firmly secured.
Will the ropes hold if they get to cutting up? Harry asked, after he had tied his as many as five different times, to make sure there would be no slipping of the knot.
They are all good and practically new, Ned informed him, and I think theres no doubt about their holding. Now to get ourselves fixed. Pick your tree, everybody, but let it be where you can keep watch over the animals, so as to knock over every wolf that makes a jump for them.
They caught on to the idea Ned had in mind. This was to occupy, say as many as three trees that chanced to grow in a triangle around the fire and the spot where the burros and pony had been fastened.
The bright moon would give them all needed opportunity to see any movement on the part of the assailants, and woe to the daring wolf that ventured to cross the dead line.
Ned waited to see which trees the others would pick out before choosing his own place of refuge. He did this because he thought it good policy to have their forces scattered, as by that means they could guard the camp more surely.