ound
away in snake-like twistings, toward those high, barren hills whose
blue masses were darkly silhouetted against the western sky. Upon
every side of them extended the treeless wilderness, the desolate
loneliness of bare, brown prairie, undulating just enough to be
baffling to the eyes, yet so dull, barren, grim, silent, and colorless
as to drive men mad. The shimmering heat rose and fell in great
pulsating waves, although no slightest breeze came to stir the stagnant
air, while thick clouds of white dust, impregnated with poisonous
alkali, rose from out the grass roots, stirred by the horses' feet, to
powder the passers-by from head to foot. The animals moved steadily
forward, reluctant and weary, their heads drooping dejectedly, their
distended nostrils red and quivering, the oily perspiration streaking
their dusted sides. The tired men, half blinded by the glare, lolled
heavily in their deep cavalry saddles, with encrusted eyes staring
moodily ahead.

Riding alone, and slightly in advance of the main body, his mount a
rangy, broad-chested roan, streaked with alkali dust, the drooping head
telling plainly of wearied muscles, was the officer in command. He was
a pleasant-faced, stalwart young fellow, with the trim figure of a
trained athlete, possessing a square chin smoothly shaven, his
intelligent blue eyes half concealed beneath his hat brim, which had
been drawn low to shade them from the glare, one hand pressing upon his
saddle holster as he leaned over to rest. No insignia of rank served
to distinguish him from those equally dusty fellows plodding gloomily
behind, but a broad stripe of yellow running down the seams of his
trousers, together with his high boots, bespoke the cavalry service,
while the front of his battered campaign hat bore the decorations of
two crossed sabres, with a gilded "7" prominent between. His attire
was completed by a coarse blue shirt, unbuttoned at the throat, about
which had been loosely knotted a darker colored silk handkerchief, and
across the back of the saddle was fastened a uniform jacket, the single
shoulder-strap revealed presenting the plain yellow of a second
lieutenant.

Attaining to the summit of a slight knoll, whence a somewhat wider
vista lay outspread, he partially turned his face toward the men
straggling along in the rear, while his hand swept across the dreary
scene.

"If that line of trees over yonder indicates the course of the Bear
Water, Carson," he