BORDER LIFE IN THE WEST. 231 



to regard him as more the brute than the man, and you will 

 find that jour studies in natural history have not been thrown 

 away. 



These wretches were wolves, and I had often seen this 

 animal exhibit this counterfeit sleep before in actual nature, 

 and therefore knew what it meant. The joke was, though, 

 that my friend had actually out-wolfed the wolves at their 

 own game of counterfeit, and to all appearances I had been 

 nearly as successful, for they began now to stir rather simul- 

 taneously. 



The sleep of Yankee had continued as profound as from 

 the first ; my friend's face seemed as stolid as ever, and I 

 suppose I too must have looked the sleeper better than the 

 wolf could counterfeit it, for they clearly took it for granted 

 that I was sound asleep since they commenced telegraphing 

 to each other now through the silence by gestures! 



" Suddenly there came a rapping" at the thin plank door ; 

 the fellows did not stir, nor did we ! Now came knocks 

 louder and more frequent, which left us both without any 

 pretext for remaining quiet any longer, so we sprang to our 

 feet simultaneously, and as if really awakening from a deep 

 sleep, and asked, " What is the matter ? what does this 

 mean ?" 



The men deliberately and sluggishly arose, and the host 

 opened the door, while I threw on an additional piece of 

 bark to the fire. 



Out from the cavernous dark emerged the most grotesque 

 form that ever Eetsch figured as the lank-haired goblin of 

 some haunted fountain, creeping up to stare upon the light, 

 and fright its fated victim. 



He was dripping from every stringy lock, and each tatter 

 streamed with its separate stream. His face, ghostly cadav- 

 erous and thin, seemed from its hollow eyes to stare the 

 jaundiced famine of a sick vulture sickened on the green 

 sance of slime, amidst which its offal prey had floated. Too 

 rich ! too rich ! for even such a stomach. 



