, and in the bracing air of the early morning the
troubles of the preceding night were forgotten.

Zeke and Thomas Jefferson led the way while Pete and the other Navajo
formed a rear guard. The packs had been rearranged so that now the burdens
were lighter for every one. Indeed, the loss of the pack which their white
visitor had taken had made the guides somewhat anxious concerning the
outlook for supplies. A journey of one hundred miles at least would be
required to obtain fresh provisions and at least a week would be necessary
if one of the guides should be sent to obtain them. There might be
difficulty too in bringing in the supplies even if they should be
obtained.

In a measure the boys reflected the feeling of their leaders, but their
confidence in the speedy outcome of their quest was keen and as a
consequence other things were ignored or forgotten.

As the morning waned the conversation lagged somewhat and the hour was
near when they planned to stop for their noonday meal and rest. They were
now walking along the rim of the great Gulch. Their pathway had led upward
and indeed there were places immediately below them where it was more than
doubtful if they would be able to proceed.

At a sudden sharp call from Zeke the remaining members of the party
hastened forward to the place where the guide was standing.

"Look ahead of you," said Zeke. "Do you see anything?"

"I see rocks and the rim of the Gulch, plenty of sand and lots of sky,"
replied Fred glibly.

"Look along the rim," suggested Zeke, ignoring the flippant manner of the
Go Ahead Boy. "What do you see about a mile ahead of us?"

"I don't see anything different from what I said," laughed Fred.

The other boys, however, were silent for a time while they peered intently
in the direction indicated by the guide.

Suddenly Grant said in a low voice, "Zeke, do you mean that tree yonder?"

"That might be it," replied the guide.

As he spoke two large, black birds suddenly arose from a branch of the
distant tree and flying lazily disappeared beneath the rim of the Gulch.

"That's it!" exclaimed John eagerly. "That's it! That's the tree Simon
Moultrie marked out in his diary. Zeke," he added excitedly, "isn't that
the Two Crow Tree?"

"It may be," replied Zeke.

"Then let's go ahead and not stop until we get there. It isn't more than a
mile or two away, is it?"

"About that," replied Zeke.

The suggestion of the Go Ahead boy was at once adopted.