r
of youth respond in sympathy to the light spring of his active little
steed. He was a lover of nature, too, and his flashing eyes glanced
observantly from side to side as they swept along,--sometimes through
glades of forest trees; sometimes through belts of more open ground and
shrubbery; anon by the margin of a stream, or along the shores of a
little lake, and often over short stretches of flowering prairie-land,--
while the firm, elastic turf sent up a muffled sound from the tramp of
their mettlesome chargers. It was a scene of wild, luxuriant beauty,
that might almost (one could fancy) have drawn involuntary homage to its
bountiful Creator from the lips even of an infidel.

After a time Joe Blunt reined up, and they proceeded at an easy ambling
pace. Joe and his friend Henri were so used to these beautiful scenes
that they had long ceased to be _enthusiastically_ affected by them,
though they never ceased to delight in them.

"I hope," said Joe, "that them sodgers 'll go their ways soon. I've no
notion o' them chaps when they're left at a place wi' nothin' to do but
whittle sticks."

"Why, Joe!" exclaimed Dick Varley in a tone of surprise, "I thought you
were admirin' the beautiful face o' nature all this time, and yer only
thinkin' about the sodgers. Now, that's strange!"

"Not so strange after all, lad," answered Joe. "When a man's used to a
thing he gits to admire an' enjoy it without speakin' much about it.
But it _is_ true, boy, that mankind gits in coorse o' time to think
little o' the blissins he's used to."

"Oui, c'est _vrai_!" murmured Henri emphatically.

"Well, Joe Blunt, it may be so; but I'm thankful _I'm_ not used to this
sort o' thing yet," exclaimed Varley. "Let's have another gallop--so
ho! come along, Crusoe!" shouted the youth, as he shook his reins, and
flew over a long stretch of prairie on which at that moment they
entered.

Joe smiled as he followed his enthusiastic companion, but after a short
run he pulled up.

"Hold on, youngster," he cried, "ye must larn to do as yer bid, lad;
it's trouble enough to be among wild Injuns and wild buffaloes, as I
hope soon to be, without havin' wild comrades to look after."

Dick laughed and reined in his panting horse. "I'll be as obedient as
Crusoe," he said, "and no one can beat him."

"Besides," continued Joe, "the horses won't travel far if we begin by
runnin' all the wind out o' them."

"Wah!" exclaimed Henri, as the led horse