THE WOLF HUNTERS 



up the gang by havin' a man foller their trail an' 

 find out just where they locate. He took up with 

 the idea right away, an' the farmer said he'd fol- 

 ler the trail. When he gets 'em located he's to 

 come back an' guide the soldiers to the jay hawk- 

 ers' camp." 



As we passed through the strip of timber at the 

 crossing of the little creek where the jayhawkers 

 had planned to get the drop on us we noticed 

 that it would have been an admirable place for 

 such a manoeuvre, and Jack and I commented on 

 the possibilities of an encounter with the enemy 

 here. 



"You're wastin' your wind," interrupted Tom 

 impatiently. "I had it all planned out to take a 

 by-road that leads off from the house where we 

 camped, which crosses the creek so the store- 

 keeper had told me about a quarter of a mile 

 below this crossin', comin' into the main road 

 again in the prairie beyond. In that way we'd 

 have left the jayhawkers 'holdin' the sack,' like 

 the feller that went a-snipe huntin'." 



86 



