THE WOLF HUNTERS 



more keenly watchful than formerly, and sev- 

 eral times on returning to camp I had noticed Tom 

 coming down from the nearest bluff with the field- 

 glass in his hand, indicating that he had been 

 scanning the surrounding country. 



I noticed, too, that lately, whenever the team 

 was sent over to the fort, in addition to the usual 

 batch of baled wolfskins, Tom was now sending 

 other stuff, such as surplus grain and provisions — 

 anything, in fact, that could be dispensed with in 

 the camp and reduce our outfit, as he said, to 

 "light marching order,'' for we thought now in a 

 couple of weeks more we would be ready to break 

 up camp and go in. 



Of the three. Jack was by far the most indiffer- 

 ent, for, as he said, *'It's time enough to bid the 

 divil good morning when you meet him." 



Since To hausen's band had located near us we 

 had had frequent visits from some of his people, 

 when the weather was fair, and had struck up 

 quite a profitable trade with them for buffalo 

 robes, dressed deer and antelope skins, with a few 

 otter, beaver, panther, wildcat skins, and the like, 

 paying for them in coffee, sugar, flour, or tobacco. 

 And since returning from his attendance on the 

 old chief Tom made it a point to visit him every 

 few days, ostensibly to see how the old fellow was 

 getting along, but more particularly to try to find 

 out if any intercourse was passing between Sa- 

 tank's band and To hausen's. 



232 



