LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 103 



the Salt Lake to the borders of Upper California. La 

 Bonte, with three others, determined to follow the 

 thieves, recover their animals, and then rejoin the other 

 two (Luke and Rube) on a creek two days' journey 

 from their present camp. Starting at sunrise, they 

 rode on at a rapid pace all day, closely following the 

 trail, which led directly to the north-west, through a 

 wretched sandy country, without game or water. From 

 the appearance of the track, the Indians must still have 

 been several hours ahead of them, when the fatigue of 

 their horses, suffering from r want of grass and water, 

 compelled them to camp near the head of a small 

 water-course, where they luckily found a hole contain- 

 ing a little water, and whence a broad Indian trail 

 passed, apparently frequently used. Long before day- 

 light they were again in the saddle, and, after proceeding 

 a few miles, saw the lights of several fires a short dis- 

 tance ahead of them. Halting here, one of the party 

 advanced on foot to reconnoitre, and presently returned 

 with the intelligence that the party they were in pursuit 

 of had joined a village numbering thirty or forty huts. 

 Loosening their girths, they permitted their tired 

 animals to feed on the scanty herbage which presented 

 itself, whilst they refreshed themselves with a pipe of 

 tobacco for they had no meat of any description with 

 them, and the country afforded no game. As the first 

 streak of dawn appeared in the east, they mounted their 

 horses, after first examining their rifles, and moved 

 cautiously towards the Indian village. As it was 

 scarcely light enough for their operations, they waited 



