notice of
any one unless he passed very near at hand. Fortunately for Ned, they
had some very good and substantial lunch with them, with which his
hunger was fully satisfied. There still remained a little stock on hand,
which was reserved more for him than themselves. They were accustomed to
such privations and could stand it very well, but the lad was of too
tender years not to suffer keenly.

The night was so far gone that no one attempted to obtain any sleep. The
hunters went out and examined the dead grizzly, learning his dimensions
by the sense of feeling alone. Tom picked up the tomahawk, and, wiping
off the blade upon the grass, shoved it down in his belt, with the
remark that it might come handy again before they reached Fort Havens.
The two then made an observation for the purpose of learning whether any
of the Indians were in the neighborhood. Nothing important was
discovered, however, and in due time the night ended and the morning
came again.

The sun was scarcely up when they were under way. Ned at first was
placed upon the back of the mustang ridden by Dick Morris, and side by
side, the two fleet-limbed creatures left the ridge and took the
shortest route to Fort Havens. The gait was an easy, swinging one, which
the horses were capable of keeping up from rise of morn until set of
sun. The day was warm and sunshiny, but the air was so clear and pure
that the oppressiveness was much less than would have been the case in a
more northern latitude.

Beyond the ridge, the country remained open, as the prairie was inclined
to be rolling than otherwise, but with a surface which permitted the
utmost swiftness of which an animal was capable. Occasionally patches of
wood and rocky elevations were discernible, but these were given a wide
berth in all cases, as they were the very places where the treacherous
enemies would have wished them to come. A herd of buffaloes, probably
the same seen a short time before, was discerned far to the south, but
they were passed by while still a long distance away.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

CLOSING IN.

The party pushed on until the greater portion of the forenoon was
passed, when Ned was transferred to the back of Tom's horse. The lad had
noticed that the hunters were acting in a strange manner, as though they
were ill at ease, and were apprehensive that peril of some kind was
approaching.

Dick Morris rode fully a hundred yards in advance of his comrade, and
the motion of