nd there was a keen excitement in it. He
had read of such things, and now he was in one without the least idea in
the world but what everything would come out all right, just as it does
in a novel. Before midnight he had asked every other human being around
him all the questions he could think of, and had dismounted four times
to examine the grass at the wayside and see if it were of any better
quality. Each time he was compelled to mount again and ride on to his
father, "Chips."

When bunch-grass gets to be so dry that it will crumble in the fingers
it ceases to be of any use except to carry a prairie-fire in a great
hurry. It will do that wonderfully, but it will not do to feed animals
on, and it was needful to have something better.

When a halt was called, at about twelve o'clock, and a rest of two hours
was decided on, the barrels of water in the wagons were drawn upon for
only a moderate ration all around, and the animals plainly testified
their eagerness for more. They were not at all distressed as yet, but
they would have been if they had done that amount of work under
sunshine. When the moment for again setting out arrived and the word was
given, Judge Parks inquired,

"Pine, where is Sile?"

"Where? I'd call it--There he is on his blanket, sound asleep. I'll
shake him up."

"Do, while I put the saddle on his horse. Guess he's tired a little."

A sharp shake of Sile's shoulder had to be followed by another, and then
a sleepy voice responded,

"Water? Why, Pine, there's a whole lake of it. Was you ever at sea?"

"Sea be hanged! Git up; it's time to travel."

"Ah, halloo! I'm ready. I dreamed we'd got there. Riding so much makes
me sleepy."

He was quickly in the saddle again, and they went forward; but there
were long faces among them at about breakfast-time that morning. They
were halted by some clumps of sickly willows, and Yellow Pine said,
mournfully,

"Yer's where the redskins made their next camp. They and their critters
trod the pool down to nothin' and let the sun in onto it, and it's as
dry as a bone. We're in for a hard time and no mistake."

CHAPTER V

A VERY OLD TRAIL

During all that was left of that happy day in the Nez Perce camp there
was an immense amount of broiling and boiling done. Whoever left the
great business of eating enough and went and sat down or lay down got up
again after a while and did some more remarkable eating. All the life of
an Indian trains him for