Expedition to Oregon Desert 151 



and skirted Sprague River. By the merest chance, 

 we met a white man, the first we had seen since leav- 

 ing the post, and we stopped to ask the way to Sil- 

 ver Lake. A number of Snake Indians were stand- 

 ing around at the time. The man told us to go north 

 on the trail to a sheep camp in Sican Valley, where 

 we would receive further directions, and thanking 

 him, we rode confidently forward. 



Just as the sun was sinking, we entered a splendid 

 forest of fir and spruce, and soon found that our 

 trail forked. The heavy, well-traveled branch 

 turned a little west of north; the other, leading due 

 north, had apparently not been used since last year, 

 as it was covered with old leaves. We did not 

 know what to do, as the man whom we had met in 

 the morning had not mentioned this fork. While 

 we were talking about it, we heard the jingling bells 

 of a pack horse or Indian cayuse, and soon a boy 

 hove in sight, driving a couple of pack ponies. 

 Moving to one side to let him pass, I asked him 

 where he was going. 



" To Sican Valley, to a sheep ranch," he an- 

 swered, and immediately was lost to sight among 

 the giant trees. We meekly fell in behind and 

 hurried after him. 



Suddenly we came out into a natural park, the end 

 of our trail. Five Indian lodges stood about in the 

 open space, and five valiant braves, in their usual 



