26 LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 



trail had taken, that they were making for the Bayou 

 in order to surprise their enemies, and, therefore, were 

 not following the usual Indian trail up the canon of the 

 Boiling Spring River. Having made up his mind to 

 this, he at once struck across the broken ground lying 

 at the foot of .the mountains, steering a course a little to 

 the eastward of north, or almost in the direction whence 

 he had come ; and then, pointing westward, about noon 

 he crossed a mountain chain, and descending into a 

 ravine through which a little rivulet tumbled over its 

 rocky bed, he at once proved the correctness of his 

 judgment by striking the Indian trail, now quite fresh, 

 as it wound through the canon along the bank of the 

 stream. The route he had followed, impracticable to 

 pack-animals, had saved at least half-a-day's journey, 

 and brought them within a short distance of the object 

 of their pursuit ; for, at the head of the gorge, a lofty 

 bluff presenting itself, the hunters ascended to the sum- 

 mit, and, looking down, descried at their very feet the 

 Indian camp, with their own stolen cavallada feeding 

 quietly round. 



" Wagh ! " exclaimed both the hunters in a breath. 

 " And thar's the old ga'l at that," chuckled Killbuck, as 

 he recognised his old grizzled mule making good play at 

 the rich buffalo grass with which these mountain valleys 

 abound. 



" If we don't make ' a raise' afore long, I wouldn't say 

 so. Thar plans is plain to this child as beaver sign. 

 They're after Yuta hair, as certain as this gun has got 

 hind-sights ; but they arn't agoin' to pack them animals 



