34 The Kind of the Thundering Herd 



Three months before he would have said 

 that this babel of sound, rising and falling 

 upon the prairie stillness, was made by at 

 least fifty coyotes. There were voices, high- 

 keyed and low-keyed, mournful and pa- 

 thetic, wavering and quavering, as though 

 these small wolves were holding a wake for 

 a beloved comrade. But Bennie now knew, 

 thanks to his father's teachings, that this 

 night chorus was probably made by a pair 

 of coyotes who were serenading the moon 

 according to their night custom. 



This watching the bright camp-fire was a 

 favorite pastime of the boy's and was what 

 he had done every night since they had 

 started upon this wonderful journey. The 

 camp-fire was full of pictures that came and 

 went with the dancing flames. Besides, 

 there was companionship in the camp-fire 

 and protection from the many dangers of 

 the desolate prairies that encompassed 

 them. 



