h.

May we not wonder, in these later days, if any of us, who reap so
carelessly and so selfishly where others have plowed and sown, reflect
as we should upon the first cost of what we call our own? The fifteen
million dollars paid for the vast empire which these men were
exploring--that was little--that was naught. But ah, the cost in blood
and toil and weariness, in love and loyalty and faith, in daring and
suffering and heartbreak of those who went ahead! It was a few brave
leaders who furnished the stark, unflinching courage for us all.

Sergeant Ordway, with Pryor and Gass, met in one of the many little
ominous groups that now began to form among the men in camp. Captain
Clark was sleeping, exhausted.

"It stands to reason," said Ordway, usually so silent, "that the way
across the range is up one valley to the divide and down the next
creek on the opposite side. That is the way we crossed the
Alleghanies."

Pryor nodded his head.

"Sure," said he, "and all the game-trails break off to the south and
southwest. Follow the elk!"

"Is it so?" exclaimed Patrick Gass. "You think it aisy to find a way
across yonder range? And how d'ye know jist how the Alleghanies was
crossed first? Did they make it the first toime they thried? Things is
aisy enough after they've been done _wance_--but it's the first toime
that counts!"

"There is no other way, Pat," argued Ordway. "'Tis the rivers that
make passes in any mountain range."

"Which is the roight river, then?" rejoined Gass. "We're lookin' for
wan that mebbe is nowhere near here. S'pose we go to the top yonder
and take a creek down, and s'pose that creek don't run the roight way
at all, but comes out a thousand miles to the southwest--where are you
then, I'd like to know? The throuble with us is we're the first wans
to cross here, and not comin' along after some one else has done the
thrick for us."

Pryor was willing to argue further.

"All the Injuns have said the big river was over there somewhere."

"'Somewhere'!" exclaimed Patrick Gass. "'Somewhere' is a mighty long
ways when we're lost and hungry!"

"Which is just what we are now," rejoined Pryor. "The sooner we start
back the quicker we'll be out of this."

"Pryor!" The square face of the Irishman hardened at once. "Listen to
me. Ye're my bunkmate and friend, but I warn ye not to say that agin!
If ye said it where he could hear ye--that man ahead--do you know what
he would do to you?"

"I ain't par