were so far
away, but if I had been close to them, I tell you I wouldn't have had
any courage left," said Elam, with a laugh. "I've got my saddle and
bridle, and that's something I did not expect to get."

"Was there no one in the sheep-herder's ranch to look for you?"

"If there had been, I wouldn't 'a' been here. There was nobody there at
all. I just went in and got my saddle, and that's all there was to it.
You see, I was on their trail, and they had passed over that ground once
and thought they had got everybody."

"Well, I am beaten. I never heard a whisper of an Indian since you went
away. It is lucky for me that they didn't know I was here. How did those
men look that were killed?"

"They were dead, of course. There was no mutilation about them, only
just enough to show who killed them. If the Indians had got hold of them
before they were dead, then you might have expected something. They
would have just thrown themselves to show how much agony they could put
them to. I never want to fall into the hands of the Indians alive. Do
you know that the soldiers always carry a derringer in their pockets?
Yes, they do, and that last shot is intended for themselves."

"By George!" said Tom, drawing a long breath. "Let us get out of here."

"Where will we go?"

"Let's go back to the States. I never was made to live out here."

"Hi yah! I couldn't make a living there."

"But you talk well enough to make a living anywhere. You won't find one
man in ten out here who talks as plainly as you do."

"That's all owing to my way of bring up. Ever since I was a little kid I
have been under the care of Uncle Ezra, who talks about as plain as most
men do."

"Well, let's go and see him."

"We'll go just as soon as this blizzard is over. It is coming now, and
in a few minutes you will see my horse coming in here."

"Is that the blizzard? Why, I thought it was snow."

"You go to sleep and see if you don't find snow on the ground in the
morning. There is one thing that you can bless your lucky stars for: the
Indians are safely housed up. They'll not think of going out plundering
while this blizzard lasts."

"They know when it is coming, I suppose?"

Elam replied that they did, and wrapped himself up in his blanket, while
Tom went out to throw more wood on the fire and to make an estimate of
the weather. The sky was clouded over, not making it so very difficult
to travel by night, the wind was in the south, and the rain