r them the dew from their plumes.
Downward afresh in their wild ride, the rainbows of the cascades flying
beside them, their afternoon shadows streaming up behind them, darkness
beginning to gather in the deeps below them, the mighty mountain-masses
around rearing themselves impenetrably in boding blackness and mystery
against the yellow gleam, the purple breath of evening wrapping them,
the dew again, again the stars, and they camped at the foot of a spur
of hills with a waterfall for sentry on their left.

Through all the dash of the day, Ray had been in sparkling spirits, a
very ecstasy of excitement, brimmed with an exuberance of valiant glee
that played itself away in boyish freaks of daring and reckless acts of
horsemanship. Now a loftier mood had followed, and, still wrought to
some extreme tension, full of blind anticipation and awful assurance, he
sat between the camp-fires, his hands clasped over his knees, and
watched the evening star where it hung in a cleft of the rocks and
seemed like the advent of some great spirit of annunciation. The tired
horses had been staked out to graze, a temporary abatis erected,
scouting-parties sent off in opposite directions, and at last the frosty
air grew mild and mellow over the savory steam of broiling steaks and
coffee smoking on beds of coals. There was a moment's lull in the hum of
the little encampment, in all the jest and song and jingling stir of
this scornfully intrepid company; perhaps for an instant the sense of
the wilderness overawed them; perhaps it was only the customary
precursor of increasing murmur;--before leaving his place, Ray suddenly
stooped and laid his ear on the earth. There it was! Far off, far off,
the phantasmal stroke of hoofs, rapid, many, unswerving. It had
come,--all that he had awaited,--fate, or something else. Low and clear
in the distance one bugle blew blast of warning. When he rose, the great
yellow planet, wheeling slowly down the giant cleft in the rock, had
vanished from sight.

Every man was on his feet, the place in alarum. Behind and beside them
loomed the precipice and the waterfall;--there was surrender, there was
conquest; there was no retreat. The fires were extinguished, the
breastworks strengthened, weapons adjusted, and all the ireful
preparations for hasty battle made. Then they expected their foe. Slowly
over the crown of the mountain above them an aurora crept and brandished
its spears.

As they waited there those few