THE WOLF HUNTERS 



preaching Indian, with rushing gallop and joyous 

 bark Found came bounding up to me. In the 

 semidarkness I saw something whitish about his 

 neck, which I knew must be a message from Tom 

 and Jack. 



Rushing into the dugout, I lit a candle, and, un- 

 tying from Found's collar a piece of paper, I read 

 Tom's hastily scrawled note: 



PECK: The Injuns have got us corralled and got the 

 mules. Both of us wounded but not bad. Laying under 

 the wagon with the bales of wolf skins around us. Send 

 us a few carbine cartridges by Found, and put Bill's neck- 

 lace on him, so we can send him on for Bill. Look out 

 for yourself. TOM. 



"No time to be lost," I said to myself; and, sit- 

 ting down, I quickly wrote on the reverse side of 

 Tom's note: 



BILL: Come quick with soldiers. Tom and Jack are 

 about three miles out on Lamed trail. Read other side. 

 I am 0. K. at camp, so far. PECK. 



I fed the good dog, and, tying up four packs of 

 Sharp's rifle cartridges ten in a pack in an old 

 handkerchief, I made ready to send Found off. I 

 first intended to tie the package around his neck 

 but decided that he could more easily carry it by 

 the mouth. 



I tied my note to his collar, gave him a secure 

 hold of the handkerchief of cartridges in his teeth, 



256 



