Stacy merely grimaced, making no reply. He knew that he had not been the one to get the worst of it, and so did his companions. He was quite satisfied with the punishment that had been meted out to Ned Rector.
All hands turned in shortly after dark. They were tired after the long day's ride in the broiling sun. Besides, they had not yet made up the sleep they lost two nights before when the "twister" invaded their camp and wrecked it.
The boys had been asleep only a short time, however, before the entire camp was startled by a long, thrilling wail.
All the Pony Riders were wide awake in an instant, listening for a repetition of the sound. It came a moment later.
"K-i-i-o-o-o-o! K-i-i-o-o-o-o! K-i-i-o-o-o-k-i!"
The boys leaped from their tents. The sound plainly come from some wild animal, but what, they did not know.
"Wha—what is it? A lion?" stammered Stacy.
"I—I don't know," answered Walter. "Do you, Tad?"
"I certainly do not. It's no lion, though. There are none here?"
"Maybe it's a pack of wolves," suggested Ned. "There must be a lot of them to make such a howling as that."