hich on the previous
days--having our mules to drag after us--was slowly traversed, was now
quickly got over. But we had to call a halt at noon, by the side of a
stream, in order to water our animals and let them feed; while we
ourselves took some of the provender which we had brought in our
wallets.

Klitz and Barney sat down opposite to us, by the orders of the
lieutenant, and ate their meal in silence. They bore their
disappointment very well. Perhaps, after their three or four days'
experience, they may have begun to suspect that they would not reach
their El Dorado without some considerable difficulty, should they ever
get there at all; and they possibly consoled themselves with the idea
that, since they had been retaken, they were getting off very cheaply.

Our meal over, we moved on as before. I kept a sharp look-out by the
way, and twice I caught sight of figures which I knew must be Indians,
moving in the distance, but whether friends or foes it was impossible to
say. Perhaps they belonged to Winnemak's tribe; or, should Maysotta's
account be correct, they might be Arrapahas. They did not approach us,
however, and we were allowed to proceed unmolested.

Although we were moving along the line used by emigrant trains, we did
not meet a single one; but it was possible that any coming from the
eastward might have been attacked by the Arrapahas, or, hearing that an
enemy was in the neighbourhood, might have halted for the purpose of
defending themselves. When Indians can manage to attack a train on the
move, they, in most instances, prove successful; whereas even a small
party of white men, when encamped and under the protection of their
waggons, can generally keep a large band of warriors at bay.

The fact of our not meeting with any emigrant trains made Maysotta's
report more probable. Of course I felt somewhat anxious about
ourselves, for, even although we had a couple of rifles and two muskets,
besides our pistols, we might find it a hard matter to drive off any
large number of mounted assailants; but I felt far more anxious about
the inmates of the farm.

We kept the two men moving ahead of us at such a rate that Barney more
than once cried out, "Sure, lieutenant, our bastes will have no wind
left in thim at all, at all, if we don't pull up!"

"Go on, go on," cried the lieutenant; "do not mind your beasts, as long
as they can keep their legs."

"Thin it's meself I'd be plading for," cried Barney