nd
they smiled knowingly at each other.

Tim put in a good wadding composed of dry leaves, and placing the muzzle
of his gun among the leaves that they had gathered for ignition, he
discharged it. The intense flame of fire that streamed forth for an
instant communicated itself to the kindlings, and this being quickly and
vigorously blown by all three, almost immediately spread into a blaze,
the wood gathered heat speedily, and in a few minutes the juicy steaks
of the mountain sheep were steaming and ready for the voracious mouths
of the four gathered around.

CHAPTER XIII.

ANOTHER BARGAIN.

Our friends were prudent enough to cook every available portion of the
mountain sheep, and to preserve what remained for future contingencies.
The climate was so warm that they could not hope to keep it more than a
day or two; and, as it was, they took the wise course of placing as much
of it within their stomachs as they could conveniently carry. The
good-tempered red Newfoundland seemed to be growing corpulent on this
species of living, protracted hunger alternating with an over supply of
food.

They saw no more wild animals during the day, but just as they were
entering the Salinas Valley Elwood discovered something lying in the
path before them which at first he believed to be an Indian, either
asleep or dead; but Terror instantly ran up, and seizing it in his teeth
laid it at his feet, and discovered a beautiful Indian blanket.

"Strange!" exclaimed the boy, holding it up before him. "This shows that
we are not the first persons who have traversed this section."

"I wonder that we do not see more savages."

"Isn't it beautiful?" said Elwood, turning the blanket over and
examining its texture and designs. It was indeed handsome and very
valuable, resembling much the famous blankets made by the Apache
Indians. It was fully a half-inch in thickness, so compactly knit
together as to be water-proof. Its border and the design of the figures
were a miracle of skill in color and combination. Every hue of the
rainbow seemed reproduced in the most pleasing combinations. The
center-piece was a figure of the sun which, with the rays radiating from
it, was of a most intense yellow, while around the border were pictured
all the fruits that any one has ever heard as being indigenous to
California.

"That must be very valuable," said Howard.

"It is so heavy it tires my arms to hold it."

"That same thing would bring yez