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reply. It was Tom Cooper, chief packer. He was yelling, talking, 
and swearing in the most desperate manner, and I could only make 
out that something very disastrous was happening and that our 
help was instantly needed. We seized our rifles and hurried 
out to meet him in the dark woods bordering the river, and soon 
learned that we had possibly escaped what might have been a 
serious disaster. Early in the night as Tom happened to be 
lying awake in his tent he noticed that there seemed to be some 
rather unusual disturbance among the mules and presently that 
the bell began to tinkle as if the bell-horse were trotting or 
running. The herd was evidently moving down the valley along 
the river bank. He was up in an instant and after them. Steadily 
they moved away and presently he followed but found it very dif¬ 
ficult to get closer to them. He suspected nothing wrong only 
that they had been frightened by a coyote or some other wild 
beast, in which case they -would certainly soon stop. Already 
he had chased them two miles over gorges and rocks, through weeds 
and brash and it would seem they would never stop. The perspira¬ 
tion was making him blind and his wind was nearly gone. Suddenly 
the tramp ceased and the bell was silent. He could only keep 
on toward where he heard the sound last, and to his amazement 
he discovered the herd just ahead of him rounded up in a close 
bunch standing quite still in the darkness. He passed around them 
