mules themselves, though at first uneasy, soon grew used
to the passage of the living river, and, since no harm came from it,
evidently concluded that none would come. Will walked among them more
than once and stroked their manes and then their noses, which they
rubbed confidingly against him.

The moon shining that night was very bright, and, the heavens being
starred in such brilliant splendor, they saw almost as well as by day.
Will, to whom the romantic and majestic appealed with supreme force,
began to find a certain enjoyment, or rather a mental uplift, in his
extraordinary position. Before him was the great, black and living
river, flowing steadily from the unknown into the unknown, to north and
to south the rolling plains stretched away to infinity, and behind him,
piercing the skies, rose the misty White Dome, a vast peak; now
friendly, that seemed to watch over these faithful comrades of his and
himself.

None of them slept until late, and they divided the remainder of the
night into watches of two hours apiece, Will's running from two until
four in the morning. It was Brady whom he succeeded and it required some
effort of the will for him to leap at once from his warm blankets and
take the place of sentinel in the night, which was now cold, as usual on
the plains. But, while averse to bloodshed, he had drilled himself into
soldiership in action, always prompt, accurate and thorough, and in less
than a minute he was walking up and down, rifle on shoulder, eyes open
to everything that was to be seen and ears ready for everything that was
to be heard. Stephen Brady, the philosopher, looked at him with
approval.

"A prompt and obedient lad is sure to be a good and useful man," he
said. "You're as big as a man now, but you haven't the years and the
experience. I like you, William, and you are entitled to your share of
the Land of Canaan, which, in these later days, may be interpreted
variously as the treasures of the spirit and the soul. And now,
good-night."

He wrapped himself in his blankets and, sound of body and conscience, he
slept at once. Will, walking back and forth, alert, eager, found that
nothing had changed while he was in slumber. The buffalo herd flowed on,
its speed and its flood the same, while the White Dome towered far into
the sky, almost above them, serene, majestic and protecting. It seemed
to Will that all the omens were good, that, great though the dangers and
hardships might be, they