The Black Swans 



along the trail that is not strictly 

 speaking a part of the accustomed 

 landscape. Nothing of this sort escapes 

 the more acute among them. Indians 

 cannot read "signs" more accurately. 

 All sorts of frightful-looking natural 

 objects such as might well throw a 

 high-mettled Kentucky gaited saddler 

 into fits, are passed by unnoticed. 

 They know all that of old, but if any- 

 thing lies in their paths that was not 

 there the last time they passed that 

 way beware! Even a stone out of its 

 usual place does not escape them. I 

 had quite an argument one day with 

 Smoke, reliable as he was, on this 

 latter subject, and he had me well 

 backed off under the alders by the ford 

 before spurs vigorously applied in- 

 duced him to admit that it might be 

 safe for him to proceed, which he 

 finally did with a defiant snort. 



Riding in the open the ponies go 

 confidently ahead Indian file of 

 course. They know nothing about 

 [82] 



