I 4 4 HUNTING TRIPS 



raised, looking out into the darkness. But 

 at last, tired out, we fell sound asleep. 



About midnight we were rudely awak- 

 ened by having our pillows whipped out 

 from under our heads; and as we started 

 from the bed we saw, in the bright moon- 

 light, the horses galloping madly off with 

 the saddles, tied to the lariats whose other 

 ends were round their necks, bounding and 

 trailing after them. Our first thought was 

 that they had been stampeded by horse- 

 thieves, and we rolled over and crouched 

 down in the grass with our rifles ; but noth- 

 ing could be seen, except a shadowy four- 

 footed form in the hollow, and in the end 

 we found that the horses must have taken 

 alarm at a wolf or wolves that had come 

 up to the edge of the bank and looked over 

 at us, not being able at first to make out 

 what we were. 



We did not expect to find the horses again 

 that night, but nevertheless took up the 

 broad trail made by the saddles as they 

 dragged through the dewy grass, and fol- 



