he first lot in harness,
and it was plain that there was plenty of working power remaining, but
there was a sort of serious air about the whole matter. The sun set
after a while, and still, with occasional brief rests, the expedition
pushed forward. It was a point to be noted that it travelled about twice
as fast as the band of Nez Perces had been able to do after they had
lost their ponies. It was not hampered by any heavily burdened
foot-passengers. The moon arose, and now Sile was riding on in front
with the muddy-bearded veteran.

"Pine," said he, "s'pose we don't come to grass and water?"

"Most likely we will before mornin', or before noon anyhow. If we
don't, we must go on till we do."

"Kill all the mules?"

"They'll all die if we don't, sure's my name's Pine--Yellow Pine."

"They can't stand it--"

"They can stand anything but starvation. Did you ever try giving up
water?"

"No; did you?"

"Well, I did. I was glad to give up giving it up after a few days. It's
the queerest feeling you ever had."

"How'd it happen?"

"I don't feel like tellin' about it jest now. There's too good a chance
for tryin' it again to suit me."

"Is that so? Pine, do you know, I wish you'd tell me how they came to
call you Yellow Pine."

The fear of either thirst or hunger had plainly not yet fallen upon
Sile, or he would not have asked that question just then. It sounded so
much like fourteen years old and recklessness that the great, gaunt man
turned in his saddle and looked at him.

"I'd call it--Well, now, you're a customer. Some reckon it's my
complexion, and I am turned kind o' yaller, but it ain't. It's my own
name."

"How'd you get it, anyway?"

"How? Well, my father was just like me; he was a wise man. He named me
after his brother, my uncle Ogden, and after Colonel Yell, that was
killed in the Mexican war. So I'm Yell O. Pine, and nobody but you ever
cared how it kem so."

Sile was satisfied as to that one point, but there did not seem to be
anything else on that prairie about which he was satisfied, and at last
his companion remarked to him,

"Now look here, Sile Parks, you go back and tell the judge, if I've got
to answer questions for you all night, he'll hev to raise my wages. I'm
thirsty with it now, and there's no water to spare."

Sile was in no wise disconcerted, but rode back to the main body in
excellent spirits. It was the first real danger of any sort that the
expedition had encountered, a