The Last of the Plainsmen 



Lank, gray wolves appeared on all sides; they 

 prowled about with hungry howls, and shoved black- 

 tipped noses through the grass. The sun sank, and 

 the sky paled to opal blue. A star shone out, then 

 another, and another. Over the prairie slanted the 

 first dark shadow of night. 



Suddenly the hunter laid his ear to the ground, and 

 listened. Faint beats, like throbs of a pulsing heart, 

 shuddered from the soft turf. Stronger they grew, till 

 the hunter raised his head. Dark forms approached; 

 voices broke the silence; the creaking of a wagon 

 scared away the wolves. 



&quot; This way ! &quot; shouted the hunter weakly. 



&quot;Ha! here he is. Hurt?&quot; cried Rude, vaulting 

 the wheel. 



&quot; Tie up this calf. How many did you find? &quot; 

 The voice grew fainter. 



u Seven alive, and in good shape, and all your 

 clothes.&quot; 



But the last words fell on unconscious ears. 



74 



