124 



RANCH LIFE AND THE HUNTING-TRAIL 



ing in all the time. We could only land and snub the boats up with 

 ropes, holding them there for two or three hours until the jam worked 

 down once more all the time, of course, having to keep guard over 

 the captives, who had caused us so much trouble that we were bound to 

 bring them in, no matter what else we lost. 



We had to be additionally cautious on account of being in the Indian 

 country, having worked down past Killdeer Mountains, where some of my 

 cowboys had run across a band of Sioux said to be Tetons the year 

 before. Very probably the Indians would not have harmed us anyhow, 

 but as we were hampered by the prisoners, we preferred not meeting 

 them ; nor did we, though we saw plenty of fresh signs, and found, to our 

 sorrow, that they had just made a grand hunt all down the river, and had 

 killed or driven off almost every head of game in the country through 



which we were passing. 



As our stock of provisions grew scant- 

 ier and scantier, we tried in vain to eke it out 

 by the chase; for we saw no game. Two of 

 us would go out hunting at a time, while the 

 third kept guard over the prisoners. The 

 latter would be made to sit down together 

 on a blanket at one side of the fire, while 



the guard for 

 the time being 

 stood or sat 

 some fifteen or 

 twenty yards 

 off. The pris- 

 oners being un- 

 armed, and kept 

 close together, 

 there was no 

 possibility of 

 their escaping, 

 and the guard 

 kept at such a 



distance that they could not overpower him by springing on him, he hav- 

 ing a Winchester or the double-barreled shot-gun always in his hands 

 cocked and at the ready. So long as we kept wide-awake and watchful, 

 there was not the least danger, as our three men knew us, and understood 

 perfectly that the slightest attempt at a break would result in their being 



ON GUARD AT NIGHT. 



