noon
The cattle tallied out to an animal , and were left undisturbed on their chosen range . Two hours ' ride brought the boys to the forks of the Beaver , and by the middle of the forenoon the south branch of the creek was traced to its source among the sand dunes . If not inviting , the section proved interesting , with its scraggy plum brush , its unnumbered hills , and its many depressions , scalloped out of the sandy soil by the action of winds . Coveys of wild quail were encountered , prairie chicken took wing on every hand , and near the noon hour a monster gray wolf arose from a sunny siesta on the summit of a near-by dune , and sniffed the air in search of the cause of disturbance . Unseen , the boys reined in their horses , a windward breeze favored the view for a moment , when ten nearly full-grown cubs also arose and joined their mother in scenting the horsemen . It was a rare glimpse of wary beasts , and like a flash of light , once the human scent was detected , mother and whelps skulked and were lost to sight in an instant . `` They 're an enemy of cattle , '' whispered Joel when the cubs appeared .