ings
right, in the field, and then do them that way always. You know better
than to mount a horse on the off side. That's an Indian trick, but
you're not an Indian and this isn't an Indian horse."

Jesse was much crestfallen for being thrown and then scolded for it.

"Is he hurt any?" asked Uncle Dick of Rob, aside.

Rob shook his head. "I don't think so. Just knocked the wind out of him.
He was lying with his eyes wide open. He's all right."

"On our way!" exclaimed Uncle Dick. They all swung into saddle now,
Billy leading, old Sleepy next to Fox, the place he always claimed; then
Uncle Dick, Jesse, John, and Rob, Nigger coming last, poking along
behind, his ears lopping. In a few moments they all were shaken into
place in the train, and all went on as usual, the gait being a walk,
only once in a while an easy trot.

"We set out and proceeded on under a gentle breeze," quoted John.

"Reader will suppose one hundred years to have elapsed," began Jesse,
trying to be funny.

"Jess," said his uncle at that, "rather you'd not poke fun at the
_Journal_, or at our trip. I want you to take it seriously and to feel
it's worth while."

"I'm sorry, sir," said Jesse, presently, who was rather feeling
disgraced that morning. "I won't, any more. I'm glad we've got horses."

"Now I want you to remember that when Captain Clark and his three men
came in here, on foot, they found an old Indian road, marked plain by
the lodge poles. They went up Little Prickly Pear Creek, over the ridge
and down the Big Pear Creek.

"You see, Clark was hunting Indians. He wanted horses; because he could
see, even if the Indian girl had not told him, that before long they
must run their river to its head, and then, if they couldn't get horses,
their expedition was over for keeps. They all were anxious now.

"Billy, all I have to say about the road is that we'll make long days;
and we'll keep off the main motor roads all the way when we get toward
Marysville and Helena, over east and south--no towns if we can help it.
It's going to be hard to dodge them."

"Pretty hard to help it, that's no lie," said Billy. "This country's all
settled now. They been running a steamer up and down the Canyon above the
Gate of the Mountains. You folks going to take that trip? Want to see
the big dam at the head, at the old ferry?"

Uncle Dick turned in his saddle, to see what the boys would say. John
made bold to answer.

"Well, I don't know how the other fe