This direction sounded in Glenn’s cheery voice a good deal more pleasurable than the possibilities suggested.  Surely that cedar tree could not keep off rain or snow.

“Glenn, how about—­about animals—­and crawling things, you know?” queried Carley.

“Oh, there are a few tarantulas and centipedes, and sometimes a scorpion.  But these don’t crawl around much at night.  The only thing to worry about are the hydrophobia skunks.”

“What on earth are they?” asked Carley, quite aghast.

“Skunks are polecats, you know,” replied Glenn, cheerfully.  “Sometimes one gets bitten by a coyote that has rabies, and then he’s a dangerous customer.  He has no fear and he may run across you and bite you in the face.  Queer how they generally bite your nose.  Two men have been bitten since I’ve been here.  One of them died, and the other had to go to the Pasteur Institute with a well-developed case of hydrophobia.”

“Good heavens!” cried Carley, horrified.

“You needn’t be afraid,” said Glenn.  “I’ll tie one of the dogs near your bed.”

Carley wondered whether Glenn’s casual, easy tone had been adopted for her benefit or was merely an assimilation from this Western life.  Not improbably Glenn himself might be capable of playing a trick on her.  Carley endeavored to fortify herself against disaster, so that when it befell she might not be wholly ludicrous.

With the coming of twilight a cold, keen wind moaned through the cedars.  Carley would have hovered close to the fire even if she had not been too tired to exert herself.  Despite her aches, she did justice to the supper.  It amazed her that appetite consumed her to the extent of overcoming a distaste for this strong, coarse cooking.  Before the meal ended darkness had fallen, a windy raw darkness that enveloped heavily like a blanket.  Presently Carley edged closer to the fire, and there she stayed, alternately turning back and front to the welcome heat.  She seemingly roasted hands, face, and knees while her back froze.  The wind blew the smoke in all directions.  When she groped around with blurred, smarting eyes to escape the hot smoke, it followed her.  The other members of the party sat comfortably on sacks or rocks, without much notice of the smoke that so exasperated Carley.  Twice Glenn insisted that she take a seat he had fixed for her, but she preferred to stand and move around a little.

By and by the camp tasks of the men appeared to be ended, and all gathered near the fire to lounge and smoke and talk.  Glenn and Hutter engaged in interested conversation with two Mexicans, evidently sheep herders.  If the wind and cold had not made Carley so uncomfortable she might have found the scene picturesque.  How black the night!  She could scarcely distinguish the sky at all.  The cedar branches swished in the wind, and from the gloom came a low sound of waves lapping a rocky shore.  Presently Glenn held up a hand.