Читать книгу Grace Harlowe's Overland Riders at Circle O Ranch онлайн

26 страница из 53

“Never mind the snakes. Turn in!” ordered Hippy.

An hour later the camp was asleep and just outside of it prowled Jim and Sam, halting to growl at each other when they met on their rounds. Only once during the night was the quiet disturbed. About two o’clock in the morning Jim-Sam heard a body of horsemen moving. It was but a faint thudding that was borne to their ears, and after listening for some time they heard the hoof-beats die away in the distance.

“Glad we ain’t got to do no more shootin’,” observed Sam. “Might wake up the gals and that shore would be too bad. Say, Jim, that little Missie Dean, with the freckled face like a speckled trout, shore’s got spunk.”

“A-huh! Mebby she’ll lend ye some of it,” retorted Jim.

“Shet up!” growled Sam, and strode away for another round of the camp.

A pack of coyotes at this juncture barked in a yelping chorus, and the Overlanders heard them but only faintly, for it was now a familiar sound to them after their many nights in the wilder places of their native land.