paving material in the excitement of the moment, as every carbine or
six-shooter in or out of range rained its leaden hail at the flying
covey. One fine bird was accidentally winged, and half a dozen men
broke from the line to run it down, one of whom was Reese himself.
The line was not dangerously broken nor did harm result, and on their
return Miller was present and addressed this query to Reese: "Who is
the captain of this flank line?"

"He'll weigh twenty pounds," said Reese, ignoring the question and
holding the gobbler up for inspection.

"If you were a vealy tow-headed kid, I'd have something to say to you,
but you're old enough to be my father, and that silences me. But
try and remember that this is a wolf hunt, and that there are enough
wolves in that brush this minute to kill ten thousand dollars' worth
of cattle this winter and spring, and some of them will be your own.
That turkey might eat a few grasshoppers, but you're cowman enough to
know that a wolf just loves to kill a cow while she's calving."

This lecture was interrupted by a long cheer coming up the line from
below, and Miller galloped away to ascertain its cause. He met Lynch
coming up, who reported that several wolves had been sighted, while at
the lower end of the line some of the boys had been trying their guns
up and down the river to see how far they would carry. What caused the
recent shouting was only a few fool cowboys spurting their horses
in short races. He further expressed the opinion that the line would
hold, and at the close with the cordon thickened, everything would be
forced into the pocket. Miller rode back down the line with him
until he met a man from his own camp, and the two changing horses, he
hurried back to oversee personally the mounting of the beaters when