"but I know that country out south, and we'll never get
through to the Salt Fork without fresh horses. Besides, as the doctor
says, we've got to take care of Waite. If we find things as I expect
we'll ride for Carson City, and re-outfit there. What's more, we won't
lose much time--it's a shorter ride from there to the cabin than from
here."

By morning the General was able to sit his saddle again, and leaving
him with Neb to follow slowly, the others spurred forward, discovered
an outlet through the bluff into the valley, and crossed the Santa Fe
Trail. It was not easy to discover where those in advance had passed
this point, but they found evidence of a late camp in a little grove of
cottonwoods beside the river. There were traces of two trails leading to
the spot, one being that of the same five horses they had been following
so long, the other not so easily read, as it had been traversed in both
directions, the different hoof marks obliterating each other. Bristoe,
creeping about on hands and knees, studied the signs with the eyes of an
Indian.

"You kin see the diff'rence yere whar the ground is soft, Cap," he said,
pointing to some tracks plainer than the others. "This yere hoss had a
rider, but the rest of 'em was led; thet's why they've bungled up ther
trail so. An' it wa'n't ther same bunch thet went back east what come
from thar--see thet split hoof! thar ain't no split hoof p'inting ther
other way--but yere is the mark of the critter thet puts her foot down
so fur outside thet we've been a trailin' from Sheridan, an' she's
p'inting east, an' being led. Now, let's see whar the bunch went from
yere with thet split hoof."

This was not so easily accomplished owing to the nature of the ground,
but at last the searchers stumbled onto tracks close in under the bank,
and one of these revealed the split hoof.

"That makes it clear, Ben," exclaimed Keith, decidedly, staring out
across the river at the white sandhills. "They have kept in the edge of
the water, making for the ford, which is yonder at the bend. They are
out in the sand desert by this time riding for the Salt Fork. Whoever
he was, the fellow brought them five horses, and the five old ones were
taken east again on the trail. The girl is still with the party, and
we'll go into Carson City and reoutfit."

Chapter XXXIV. Again at the Cabin

They were two weary days reaching Carson City, travelling along the
open trail yet meeting with no one,