THE WOLF HUNTERS 



lowed them and located their camp guided the 

 soldiers to the jayhawkers' new layout, where the 

 cavalrymen succeeded in surrounding and captur- 

 ing the whole gang and taking them as prison- 

 ers to Fort Leavenworth. 



"Well, who's going to mind camp, an* who's 

 going over to the fort?" said Jack when dinner 

 was over. 



"We'll draw straws for it," said Tom decisively. 

 "Peck, you prepare the straws, two long ones an* 

 a short one, an' the man who gets the short one 

 stays." 



I did as directed. Tom and Jack drew the long 

 straws, and I got left. 



"Well, rack out now, you fellows, and I'll have 

 a good time reading the papers while you're gone," 

 said I, trying to console myself for the lonesome 

 afternoon I expected to have. 



But I was not left alone long, for presently a 

 couple of strolling soldiers from the garrison 

 dropped in, and we passed some time in exchang- 

 ing information, I giving them the latest news 

 from the settlements, and they telling the gossip of 

 Fort Larned and vicinity. 



We had not been out of sight of herds of buffalo 

 since we had entered the range till we crossed 

 Pawnee Fork, but here, near the fort, where they 

 had probably been hunted more than elsewhere, 

 they were scarce, though this was about the centre 

 of their range east and west. The soldiers said 



114 



