"Thar's something not exactly right thar," he muttered, "for stock don't ginerally make a fuss at this time of the night."
"What do you think can be the cause?" asked the doctor, who, with the girl he loved so tenderly, had drawn near.
"That's mighty hard to tell. It may be a pack of wolves have come between them and ther wind, or ef we war near the timber I should say a b'ar, but that couldn't well be ther case heah. Howsomever, I'm goin' to find out."
"Let me go with you," suggested the doctor.
"For the love of heaven, no!" whispered the distracted Olive, clinging to his arm. "If any thing were to happen to you, darling, I should die."
"The gal am right," replied the scout, sedately, though there was a merry twinkle in his eye. "I had better go alone. Hark!"
He dropped to the ground as suddenly as if felled by a blow, and remained for some time unstirring. His entire manner had changed; all of recklessness departed, and his movements became as cunning as those of a serpent. Still keeping his recumbent position he motioned the physician and said:
"You go and put out ther fires, and mind yer don't git in the light on 'em any more than you kin help."
"But I hear nothing but some wolves whining and howling."
"Yes, wolves. That am ther very name, fer that's what Sioux stands fer. Yes, wolves. Two-legged ones, whose bite ar' death!"