THE WOLF HUNTERS 



dians and that they had probably been plainsmen 

 of experience; but, as Tom said, their fatal error 

 was in allowing too many Indians to come into 

 their camp. 



We were now — about the middle of December — 

 "doing a land-office business," as Jack expressed 

 it, in taking wolf pelts, gathering them in daily 

 about as fast as we could take care of them. Jack 

 was doing well also in beaver trapping, having 

 already accumulated a lot of fine furs. 



Tom had rigged up a press by means of which 

 we put the skins into compact bales and stowed 

 them away in the tent. The tunnel connecting 

 the dugout and tent came up into the latter right 

 in the centre, between the legs of the iron tripod 

 that supported the tent-pole, and he placed the 

 bales of skins in a close wall all around the tent, 

 leaving an open space in the centre around the 

 tripod, and I asked him why. 



"This tent," he answered, "will be our look- 

 out station and also our * bomb-proof in case of 

 need." 



"The bales of fur'll make it bullet-proof, all 

 right," I replied, "but I don't see how we can see 

 out after you get that bank of wolfskins piled up 

 toward the tops of the doors." 



"When we get them up that high," said Tom, 

 "I intend to cut three or four loopholes in the 

 canvas, about big enough to look through an' shoot 

 out of, an' over each hole, to keep out the weather, 



i66 



