I had
been waiting for. I became quite satisfied of his value the following
morning, when his former owner said to me, in a voice of sadness,
"Now treat him well, won't you?"

"He shall have the best there is," I replied.

My partner, meanwhile, had rustled together three packhorses, which
were guaranteed to be kind and gentle, and so at last we were ready
to make a trial. It was a beautiful day for a start, sunny, silent,
warm, with great floating clouds filling the sky.

We had tried our tent, and it was pronounced a "jim-cracker-jack" by
all who saw it, and exciting almost as much comment among the natives
as my Anderson pack-saddles. Our "truck" was ready on the platform of
the storehouse, and the dealer in horses had agreed to pack the
animals in order to show that they were "as represented." The whole
town turned out to see the fun. The first horse began bucking before
the pack-saddle was fairly on, to the vast amusement of the
bystanders.

"That will do for that beast," I remarked, and he was led away.
"Bring up your other candidate."

The next horse seemed to be gentle enough, but when one of the men
took off his bandanna and began binding it round the pony's head, I
interrupted.

"That'll do," I said; "I know that trick. I don't want a horse whose
eyes have to be blinded. Take him away."

This left us as we were before, with the exception of Ladrone. An
Indian standing near said to Burton, "I have gentle horse, no buck,
all same like dog."

"All right," said partner, with a sigh, "let's see him."

The "dam Siwash" proved to be more reliable than his white detractor.
His horses turned out to be gentle and strong, and we made a bargain
without noise. At last it seemed we might be able to get away.
"To-morrow morning," said I to Burton, "if nothing further
intervenes, we hit the trail a resounding whack."

All around us similar preparations were going on. Half-breeds were
breaking wild ponies, cow-boys were packing, roping, and instructing
the tenderfoot, the stores swarmed with would-be miners fitting out,
while other outfits already supplied were crawling up the distant
hill like loosely articulated canvas-colored worms. Outfits from
Spokane and other southern towns began to drop down into the valley,
and every train from the East brought other prospectors to stand
dazed and wondering before the squalid little camp. Each day, each
hour, increased the general eagerness to get away.

FROM PL