had struck in many days' travel, and it comforted the hearts of the elders of the party to find t

oft verdant valley winding its way below, they were not surprised as they gazed upon it that the

t before making the plunge into the wilderness that lay beyond on the trackless plains. Missionaries here made their first attempt to civilize and Christianize the Territ

so locate that each of their growing lads might be enabled to homestead his 160 acres as soon as he was old enough, and the bottom lands of the Missouri were already pretty well squatted by trappers and settlers. So aft

ng over its flat sandy bottom, which gave the Territory the Indian na

d seemed an unbroken wilderness. Meadow-larks sang in the grass, deer or antelope now and then flitted across their vision far away in the knee-hig

sinking inch by inch with no obstructing obstacle between, until its red rim

wood and water from their last camp at Bellevue

and the family gathered close together about their supper table, as if feeli

sun coming up like a great crimson hogshead over the flat rim of the earth, changing it from black to grey, from grey to pink, from pink to rose and blue and green an

prairies crept into their hearts, and a sort of awe came over them. The children found themselves dropping their voices and speaking low, as if t

ird that gladdened their ears or eyes for many a long day to come were the little mead

long, Lige, who sat beside Joe in

mps in the ground? See, there are thousands of them!

uthie, thee and Sam and Paul should watch, too. Those are

o was lying on the beds in the back of the wagon, stuck his

me on out, Ruth, greatest sight you ever saw! Queerest little things, bigger'n gophers and not striped,

ssing through what is called a 'prairie dog town.' I have

ed out of the wagons to see this strange and novel sig

them! Just look at that fellow over there, Ruth,

er than a squirrel, with tail cocked up saucily over their backs, and paws folded demurely across their fat little stomachs, gazing with bright, bead-like eyes at the intruders, of whom they did not seem to be in the least afraid. On each side of the face were pouches, in which they carry out the di

mensely. "How deep are thei

d passages connect the mounds with one another. I have also read," he continued with a t

d Ruth. "Wouldn't it

airie Dog is to keep snakes and other varmints from eating her little ones I hardly think she would tolerate a rattler in her house. But

strong wind came up about sundown, which soon grew to be a gale, and which almost blew them off the

o much later on, and it kept the whole family busy chasing about after hats and

fter a vain search, "there's nothing out here, only wind and gr

th's sunbonnet, suddenly stopped short and pointed away acro

me of goodness-

over there?" called Lige. "Do you t

y toward where a number of dark objects wer

. Peniman, puckering her forehead and narro

Joe, "and they're coming a-whizz

're not fowl

, Mother?" quer

e coyotes," s

o had been out looking af

are those things ove

s hand and gazed intently out over

ming to you! Catch as much of it as you can as it goes by, for

, Father?" aske

ws almost round, and when the fibre of the plant dries the stalk becomes brittle and the first hard wind breaks

tion of disappointment in his voice, "I t

ting sight than that? It looks like a Lilliputian army marching toward us! Hurry up e

ort legs. As the tumble-weeds came toward them, rolling over and over before the strong south wind, they had a great game, stopping them, c

as they all chased after the strange, grotesque bundles, with

le-weed which was trying hard to elude him. And Mrs. Peniman, with her hair blown down and her che

it excellent fuel. It burned out quickly, but made a hot fire, little smoke, and saved the p

e and stifling under the canvas their mother gave her consent. The dry prairie grass made a good mattress, and rolled up in the

. Sam and Lige were fast asleep and Joe was beginning to doze, when there came to his

et. Spotty was standing up, with hair brist

and the boys were lying within it close to the big wagon. Just back of the

is musket in his hand, he heard th

e sight of the thin, tired face

s the grave. Then again came

ed and s

in his ear, "there's som

and grabbed his rifle

eated, and the horses back of the wagons began to rear and sn

der Joe dashed between the

t the horizon they saw a number of gaunt, shadowy forms flitting silently. At no great distance from them a crea

le they stood listening the night grew hideous by the cal

whispered Joe, "they

ded breath dim grey shapes came gli

cow give a terrified bellow, and h

uted Lige, and together

error, and as they sprang forward, gun at shoulder, t

The reverberation had scarcely ceas

s it?"

ot the cow!" shouted Lige, and fired again into the sha

ith terror, were rearing and snorting, and the cow plu

ed away. He found two great, gaunt, grey marauders dead, but the others, f

e of the midnight thieves. "There were such a lot of them," cried Joe;

light. Too bad we can't skin these fellows and keep the pelts as souvenirs of your first wolves. But you will no doubt have the chance to get plenty more,

rs than those of Indian raids menaced their night camp on