up, intensified and prolonged until the demonical screams seemed to
belch from every hill and from the depths of the coulees between.

Unconsciously, the girl spurred her horse which leaped past Endicott
and Bat and drew up beside the Texan, who was riding alone in the
forefront.

The man glanced into the white frightened face: "Coyotes," he said,
gravely. "They won't bother any one."

The girl shuddered. "There must be a million of them. What makes them
howl that way?"

"Most any other way would be better, wouldn't it. But I reckon that's
the way they've learnt to, so they just keep on that way."

Alice glanced at him sharply, but in the moonlight his clean-cut
profile gave no hint of levity.

"You are making fun of me!"

He turned his head and regarded her thoughtfully. "No. I wouldn't do
that, really. I was thinkin' of somethin' else."

"You are a very disconcerting young man. You are unspeakably rude, and
I ought to be furiously angry."

The Texan appeared to consider. "No. You oughtn't to do that because
when something important comes up you ain't got anything back, an'
folks won't regard you serious. But you wouldn't have been even peeved