The Last of the Plainsmen 



doubt scared out of its wits, began with a wild yell 

 from Frank and ended in pandemonium. 



While the confusion kept up, with whacks and 

 blows and threshing about, with language such as 

 never before had disgraced a group of old campers, 

 I choked with rapture, and reveled in the sweetness 

 of revenge. 



When quiet reigned once more in the black and 

 white canon, only one sleeper lay on the moon- 

 silvered sand of the cave. 



At dawn, when I opened sleepy eyes, Frank, Jim, 

 Stewart and Lawson had departed, as pre-arranged, 

 with the outfit, leaving the horses belonging to us 

 and rations for the day. Wallace and I wanted to 

 climb the divide at the break, and go home by way 

 of Snake Gulch, and the Colonel acquiesced with the 

 remark that his sixty-three years had taught him 

 there was much to see in the world. Coming to 

 undertake it, we found the climb except for a slide 

 of weathered rock no great task, and we accom 

 plished it in half an hour, with breath to spare and 

 no mishap to horses. 



But descending into Snake Gulch, which was only 

 a mile across the sparsely cedared ridge, proved to be 

 tedious labor. By virtue of Satan s patience and 

 skill, I forged ahead; which advantage, however, 

 meant more risk for me because of the stones set in 



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