SATANTA'S STORY 



always a good idea to be on good terms with the 

 officers at the post, for we may want favors from 

 them now an' then." 



Since moving into our dugout we had found 

 ourselves so much more cramped for room than 

 we had been in the tent that, following Tom's 

 suggestion and example, we had each built him- 

 self a swinging frame of poles with a buffalo-hide 

 stretched over it on which to spread our beds. 

 During the day we kept these hanging bunks 

 triced up to the timbers overhead, out of the 

 way, lowering them to within a couple of feet of 

 the floor to sleep in after supper each evening. 

 We found them a luxury compared with sleeping 

 on the hard ground. 



Next day, after Tom's return from the fort, 

 Jack and I rode down the creek to look for the 

 bones of the wolf hunters of whom French Dave 

 had told Tom and had little difficulty in finding 

 them, for the burnt remains of their little log 

 cabin, on the prairie, a little way from the tim- 

 ber, attracted us and guided us to the spot. The 

 bones of the two men had been scattered by the 

 wolves, but the irons of their burnt wagon were 

 lying just where the fire had left them. 



That their camp had been established at a rea- 

 sonable distance from the timber and otherwise 

 well located in a defensive point of view showed 

 that these men had had some knowledge of the 

 dangers to be guarded against from hostile In- 



165 



