darkness, unless he
knew every foot of the locality.

This was the locality for which young Starr was aiming. Here he was
confident of finding security against the Sioux, though they might be
near at hand. He knew just where to go, for he had hunted through it
many times with his friend Tim Brophy, for whose company he longed more
than ever before.

Jack wanted food, but it could not be had. He did not need it, however,
to the extent of suffering. At the noon halt, when his master sat on the
ground by a spring of cold water to eat his lunch, the pony had cropped
the succulent grass that grew around, and he could stand it quite well
until the morrow. The animal needed rest and shelter more than anything
else, and it was that which his young master meant he should have.

As if he understood it all, the horse of his own accord struck into a
brisk gallop, which rendered unnecessary any other protection from the
cold. The snow was still falling, but the temperature was not low, and
there was not enough on the ground to interfere with the travelling of
the animal, who maintained his pace until the abrupt appearance of the
rocky section, with its trees and bowlders, compelled him to drop to a
slow walk, with his nose thrust forward, as if to scent every step of
the way, like an elephant crossing a doubtful bridge.

"Here we are, my boy!" called out Warren, "and you couldn't have come
more truly if the sun had been shining."

It certainly was a marvellous piece of woodcraft, if such it may be
called, on the part of the pony, that he should have struck the spot so
accurately, and yet it is scarcely less marvellous that, had he needed
direction, his master was competent to give it, despite the darkness and
the snow.

Warren left the saddle for the last time. With no stars or moon in the
sky, and with the snow falling faster than ever, it would seem that
one's eyes were of little use, but they served their purpose well in the
present instance. Paying no heed to the animal, he bent over, groping
his way among the rocks, which began abruptly on the edge of the
prairie, and had not spent five minutes thus when he came upon that for
which he was looking--an opening between a mass of bowlders, along which
a person or animal could make his way with little difficulty.

"Here we are, Jack, my boy! Come on; we'll soon reach our house."

With more thrusting forward of the head, and sniffing of the air, the
pony obeyed, though it is