"Well," said Younkins, "I am a poor hand at politics; but the way I understand it is that the Washington Government is in favor of the border-State fellows, and so the troops have been sent down to stand by the mayor that belongs to the Lecompton fellows. Leastways, that is the way the sutler down to the post put it to me when I was down there with the folks that were fired on up to Buffalo Creek; I talked with him about it yesterday. That's why I said they were at Lawrence to prevent the streets being swept by free-State brooms. That is the sutler's joke. See?" "That's what I call outrageous," cried Oscar, his eyes snapping with excitement. "Here's a people up here on the frontier being massacred by Indians, while the Government troops are down at Lawrence in a political quarrel!" The boys were so excited over this state of things that they paid very little attention to anything else while on their way back to the cabin, full of the news of the day. Usually, there was not much news to discuss on the Fork. "What's that by the cabin-door?" said Sandy, falling back as he looked up the trail and beheld a tall white, or light gray, animal smelling around the door-step of the cabin, only a half-mile away. It seemed to be about as large as a full-grown calf, and it moved stealthily about, and yet with a certain unconcern, as if not used to being scared easily. "It's a wolf!" cried Oscar. "The Sunday that Uncle Aleck and I saw one from the bluff yonder, he was just like that. Hush, Sandy, don't talk so loud, or you'll frighten him off before we can get a crack at him. Let's go up the trail by the ravine, and perhaps we can get a shot before he sees us." It was seldom that the boys stirred abroad without firearms of some sort. This time they had a shot-gun and a rifle with them, and, examining the weapons as they went, they ran down into a dry gully, to follow which would bring them unperceived almost as directly to the cabin as by the regular trail. As noiselessly as possible, the boys ran up the gully trail, their hearts beating high with expectation. It would be a big feather in their caps if they could only have a gray wolf's skin to show their elders on their return from Chapman's. "You go round the upper side of the house with your rifle, Oscar, and I'll go round the south side with the shot-gun," was Charlie's advice to his cousin when they had reached the spring at the head of the gully, back of the log-cabin. With the utmost caution, the two boys crept around opposite corners of the house, each hoping he would be lucky enough to secure the first shot. Sandy remained behind, waiting with suppressed excitement for the shot. Instead of the report of a firearm, he heard a peal of laughter from both boys. "What is it?" he cried, rushing from his place of concealment. "What's the great joke?"