inkled in the cloudy sky, nor could he tell in what quarter
of the heavens the moon was hidden. Looking in the supposed direction of
the cabin, he saw only gloom, while it was equally dark when he gazed
toward the spot where he believed the camp of the cowboys lay.

Between the home of Captain Shirril and the spot where his men awaited
his coming were several elevations and depressions of land, so that had
the Texans been burning a fire, as was likely, it would not show until
more than half the intervening distance was passed. The cattle were
herded to the northward, so that in the event of a stampede it was
easier to head them on the right course over the Great Cattle Trail.

A person placed in the situation of young Burnet is apt to go astray, no
matter how extended his experience in wandering abroad at night, unless
he is able to start right. This was the difficulty with Avon, who was
too wise to depend upon what impressions took possession of him, since
it is almost the invariable rule that such impressions are wrong.

There was one faint hope: the Comanches in the vicinity of the cabin had
been indulging in shouting and firing their guns. These sounds would
prove of great help, but to his dismay, though he sat for several
minutes motionless on his mustang and listening, he heard nothing of the
kind.

He knew the wind was unfavorable, but he was compelled to believe that
he had ridden much further than he first supposed, in order to be beyond
reach of the reports. After mounting his mustang, he had sent him
scurrying on a dead run through the bush, and kept it up for several
minutes, before emerging into the open country: that was sufficient to
take him a long way and, as he believed, excluded the one means of
guidance which otherwise would have been his.

"Helloa! what does that mean?"

In peering around in the gloom, he saw, apparently a long way off to the
left, a star-like point on the prairie, which shone out with an
increasing gleam. Wondering what it could signify, he sat for a minute
or two, attentively watching it, but unable to solve the interesting
question.

"These Comanches are as fond of smoking as are our men, and I suppose
one of them has some trouble in lighting his pipe or cigarette--helloa!
there it goes!"

The light which was so interesting to him suddenly went out, and all was
blank darkness again.

He waited and looked for several minutes, but it did not reappear. At
the moment it va