my ranch, too."

"You know your part of this country mighty well, Billy," said Uncle
Dick, after a time. "I've known you did, for a long time."

"I love it, that's all!" said the young ranchman.

"Now what shall we do, sir?" he added, after a time; "go on up to my
ranch, or go on to the mouth of the Columbia River, or go to the true
head of the Missouri River, or go back to Great Falls--or what?"

"What do you want to do, Billy?"

"Anything suits me. Barring the towns, I can go anywhere on earth with
Sleepy and Nigger, and almost anywhere on earth with my flivver. I
wouldn't stay here for a camp, because it's not convenient. The
mosquitoes are about done now, and the camping's fine all over.
Fishing's good, too, right now; and I know where they are."

"I'll tell you," said Uncle Dick; "we'll move up one more march or so,
to the Beaverhead Rock. We'll camp there, and make a little more
medicine before we decide.

"I came here"--he turned to the others--"to have you see the sunset,
here on the old range. Are you satisfied with the trip thus far?"

"We'd not have missed it for the world," said Rob, at once. "It's the
best we've ever had. In our own country--and finding out for ourselves
how they found our country for us! That's what I call fine!"

"Roll up the plunder for to-night," said Uncle Dick. "The sunset's
over."

CHAPTER XXIV

NEARING THE SOURCE

"Well, Jesse, how'd you sleep last night?" inquired Billy in the
morning, as he pushed the coffee pot back from the edge of the little
fire and turned to Jesse when he emerged from his blankets.

"Not too well," answered Jesse, rubbing his eyes. "Fact is, it's too
noisy in this country. Up North where we used to live, it was quiet,
unless the dogs howled; but in here there's towns and railroads all
over--more than a dozen towns we passed, coming up from the Great Falls,
and if you don't hear the railroad whistles all night, you think you do.
Down right below us, you can throw a rock into the town, almost, and up
at the Forks there'll be another squatting down waiting for you. All
right for gasoline, Billy, but we're supposed to be using the tracking
line and setting pole."

"Sure we are--until we meet the Shoshonis and get some horses."

"Well, I don't want to camp by a railroad or a wire fence any more."

"No? Well, we'll see what we can do. Anyhow, one thing you ought to be
glad about."

"What's that?"

"Why, that you don't have to walk dow