All the howling had died away
while the bear was climbing the rock. The last dog of that band of Nez
Perces had turned tail and left his master on the top of a bowlder to be
starved out by a bear.

CHAPTER XII

THE ERRAND OF ONE-EYE

The wagons came slowly on down the pass, but it was only a few moments
before everybody but the two drivers had dismounted and stood gazing at
Sile's remarkable "find." There were old "placer miners" among them, and
they all declared that it was just the place in which they would have
expected a "bonanza." Then they all added that without water to wash the
sand and gravel with, there would be little use in doing anything more
than to hunt for "pockets." There might be "pay dirt" in all directions,
but a man might scratch and sift until he starved and not get more than
enough to buy him a new hat. They had been through all that sort of
experience, and their heads were not to be turned by it. Still, it was
decided to try that level again some day, and the whole canon, at a time
of the year when water was to be had. All that could now be done was to
carefully search for and gather up the odds and ends of Sile's "luck."
Even the necessity of grass for the horses compelled the train to move
onward.

When they came to the rocky ledge, with the precipice on one side and
the mountain wall on the other, Judge Parks turned to Yellow Pine with a
face full of doubt.

"Don't you be skeered, jedge. I took a measure of it at the narrerest
p'int, and it'll let the wheels go by and two feet to spare."

That was close work, when they came to it, and Sile shuddered all over
as he saw how near the wheels came to the edge of destruction. A restive
mule, a scared horse, a little backing and plunging, and disaster was
ready to come. Not an animal shied, however, though some of them
trembled and sheered in towards the rock. It was hardest when they had
to hold back going down and around some of the sharper curves. Sile had
several tremendous shudders at such places and drew long breaths of
relief afterwards, as the wagons rolled on in safety. Then, on the next
level below, there was more axe and crow-bar work to be done, and it was
late in the day when the train once more reached a deserted
camping-ground of the band of Indians they seemed to be pursuing.

"We'd better take a rest here, jedge. It's been a hard day on the men
and the hosses, and we've struck gold a'ready."

Sile had been strangely