THE WOLF HUNTERS 



much that the man would probably be able to 

 slip his hands out of them, seeming to rely on his 

 watchfulness and shotgun to prevent the possi- 

 bility of an escape. Then bringing out a camp- 

 chair, the Irishman sat down with the shotgun 

 across his lap while I made a tour of the camp as 

 directed. Then joining Tom in the tent, I put out 

 the light and we pretended to turn in for a sleep. 

 In reality we lay down near the open tent door, 

 where, having the prisoner between us and the 

 white wagon cover, we could see every motion he 

 might make, for it had been arranged that Jack 

 should apparently go to sleep in his chair and let 

 the jayhawker have a chance to get away. 



Jack had prudently taken his seat far enough 

 from the prisoner so that the latter could not, 

 after freeing himself, spring upon him and seize 

 his shotgun, and Tom and I, in anticipation of 

 such an effort, lay down with pistols ready to 

 defeat the move should it be attempted. We had 

 chained the dog far enough away to be out of 

 reach of the jayhawker, for fear that he might 

 catch the fugitive and thus spoil our scheme. 



Tucker remained in his fixed position on the 

 wagon wheel an exasperatingly long time before 

 he began to make any move toward freeing him- 

 self, and he remained so still that I began to 

 think that he had fallen asleep in spite of his un- 

 comfortable position. 



After manifestly keeping awake for a reasonable 



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