THE WOLF HUNTERS 



what a man told us who heard 'em gittin' away 

 across the prairie, they must have been scared. 

 Now, let's hitch up an' strike the road again an' 

 try to make up some of the time we've lost here — 

 for we've been knocked out of nearly a day's drive 

 by these jayhawkers. I'll tell you all about it 

 as we go along." 



We soon had our team strung out and were 

 again rolling along the old Santa Fe road, Jack 

 and I on the wagon seat, w4th Tom riding the 

 black horse alongside and giving us the particulars 

 of his visit to the store. 



"When I got to the store," he said, "early as it 

 was, I found a farmer there who lives down near 

 where the jayhawkers have been camped an' who 

 had come up to report that some time before 

 midnight he had heard considerable commotion in 

 their camp, an' shortly afterward heard a wagon 

 an' some mounted men pass not far from his 

 house, goin' southward across the prairie. He 

 supposed that the gang was breaking camp an' 

 moving away, but couldn't understand why they 

 should light out so sudden an' at such an hour. 

 When daylight come he visited the abandoned 

 camp an' there saw plenty of signs that they'd 

 gone in a hurry. They left clothin', lariats, an' 

 other camp equipage scattered about that they 

 had failed to gather up in the dark. 



"Well, when I got to the store the farmer an' 

 the storekeeper was all worked up an' tickled at 



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