will let them go their own pace. Sheep can do twenty
miles in a day, if not hurried."

"Well, at any rate," Reuben said, "we will give our horses a couple
of hours' rest. It is just eleven o'clock now, and I should think
everyone is ready for a meal."

There was a chorus of assent. The troop dismounted at once. The
girths were loosened, the bits taken from the horses' mouths, and
they were turned loose to graze in the long grass at the foot of
the hill. There was no fear of their attempting to stray, after
their journey of the morning. Some of the men set to to cut brush,
and in a few minutes a fire was lighted. One of the sheep, of which
there were several lying about, was skinned and cut up; and slices,
on skewers of green wood, were soon frizzling over the fire.

Twenty minutes later, the water in a large pot hanging over the
fire was boiling. Three or four handfuls of tea were thrown in; and
with the fried mutton, cold damper, and tea a hearty meal was made.
Then pipes were produced and lighted; while several of the men,
lying down and shading their faces with their broad hats, indulged
in a doze.

"One o'clock," Reuben said at last, looking at his watch. "It is
time to be moving again."

The horses were fetched in, the bridles replaced, and the girths
tightened.

"Now, which way?" Reuben asked the trackers.

"Along here, captain, by de foot of de hill, de trail is plain
enough."

It was so. A track of some width was trampled in the grass.

Reuben was about to give the order to proceed, when he caught Jim's
eye, and saw that the black wished to speak to him privately.

"What is it, Jim?" he asked, going apart from the rest.

"That not de way, captain. A hundred, two hundred sheep gone that
way, wid four or five black fellow. De rest have all gone over de
hill."

"Are you sure, Jim?"

"Me quite sure, sar. De ground very hard; but while de captain
smoke him pipe, Jim went over de hill, saw plenty sign of sheep.
Went straight uphill, and then turned away to de left. Dis little
party here hab only gone to frow white man off de trail."

"The trackers ought to have seen that as well as you, Jim," Reuben
said angrily.

"Dey see, sar, sure enough. Could no help seeing, wid half an eye.
You see, sar, dose fellows up to no good. Lead party wrong if dey
can. Don't say, sar, Jim told you. If you say dat, put 'em on their
guard. Massa ride along the trail for a bit, just as if talk wid
Jim about odder affai