layed this game, it might be all right to go
ahead. But we don't," said he. "I've been noticing this trail pretty
close; and I ain't seen much water except in the river; and that's an
awful ways down. Maybe we'll find some water over the next hill, and
maybe we won't. But we know there's water here. Then there's the
question of hoss thieves. McClellan strikes me as a man to be believed.
I don't know how they act; but you bet no hoss thief gets off with my
hoss and me watchin'. But at night it's different, I don't know how they
do things. But I _do_ know that if we tie our hosses next us, they
won't be stolen. And that's what I aim to do. But if we do that, we got
to give them a chance to eat, hain't we? So we'll let them feed the rest
of the afternoon, and we'll tie em up to-night."

This was much talk for Yank. In fact, the only time that taciturn
individual ever would open up was in explanation of or argument about
some expedient of wilderness life or travel. It sounded entirely
logical. So we made camp.

Yank turned the two horses out into a grass meadow, and sat, his back
against an oak tree, smoking his pipe and watching them. Johnny and I
unrolled the beds, sorted out the simple cooking utensils, and started
to cook. Occasional travellers on the road just above us shouted out
friendly greetings. They were a miscellaneous lot. Most were headed
toward the mountains. These journeyed in various ways. Some walked afoot
and unencumbered, some carried apparently all their belongings on their
backs, one outfit comprising three men had three saddle horses and four
packs--a princely caravan. One of the _cargadores'_ pack-trains
went up the road enveloped in a thick cloud of dust--twenty or thirty
pack-mules and four men on horseback herding them forward. A white mare,
unharnessed save for a clanging bell, led the way; and all the mules
followed her slavishly, the nose of one touching the tail of the other,
as is the mule's besotted fashion. They were gay little animals, with
silver buttons on their harness, and yellow sheepskin linings to their
saddles. They carried a great variety of all sorts of things; and at the
freighting rates quoted to us must have made money for their owners.
Their drivers were a picturesque quartette in sombreros, wide sashes,
and flowing garments. They sat their animals with a graceful careless
ease beautiful to behold.

Near sundown two horsemen turned off the trail and rode down to our
little