was quietly
descending, as though it threatened a warm spring shower. It beat the
world how Elam could tell that this storm was three days off, that
before it got through everything would be "holded up," and that the snow
would be six inches deep. The horse came in about that time and took up
a position on the leeward side of the fire, where he settled himself
preparatory to going to sleep. Then Tom thought he had better go, too,
but the thrilling story to which he had listened took all the sleep out
of him. What a dreadful fate it would be for him to be killed out there
in the mountains, as those men were who stole Elam's furs, and no one
find his body until long after the thing had been forgotten! He fell
asleep while he was thinking about it, and when he awoke it was with a
chill, and a feeling that the storm had come sure enough. The wind was
in the north, and he could not see anything on account of the snow. He
didn't have as many blankets now as he did when he first struck the
mountains, for he had left a good portion of them in the gully. All he
had was his overcoat, and, wrapping himself up in it, he went to sleep
and forgot all about the blizzard.

CHAPTER XV.

UNCLE EZRA PUTS HIS FOOT DOWN.

Tom slept warm and comfortable that night, and perhaps the simple
presence of Elam had something to do with it. A boy who could go through
a twenty-mile race with Cheyennes, and have no more to say about it than
he did, would be a good fellow to have at his back in case trouble
arose. A person would not think he had been through such an encounter,
and had seen the bodies of two murdered men besides, for, when he awoke,
Elam was sitting up on his blanket and looking at his horse. He lay in
such a position that the threatening streak on the animal's neck, which
had come so near ending the race then and there and resulting in Elam's
capture, could be plainly seen.

"Halloa!" exclaimed Elam. "The Indians didn't get you last night, after
all. I tell you, if our soldiers could strike them now, they would have
an easy job of it. Now, there's that horse of mine. He has got a worse
hurt than I have, but he makes no fuss over it. I am anxious to find
Uncle Ezra, for he has some medicine that will cure it."

"But you can't go where he is--where is he, anyway?" said Tom.

"He is just about two days' journey over the mountains. I know where he
is, and I ought to have been there before. But, laws! he's quit looking
for me