they came to did but each give them another disappointment. The
animals were holding out well, with frequent rests, for they had been
taken care of even at the expense of the human beings.

Just before sunset, as they were plodding wearily along, Yellow Pine
drew his rein, turned in his saddle, and pointed away across the plain
in advance and to the right of them, exclaiming,

"Redskins!"

There was no mistake about it. In a few minutes more a pretty long line
of pony-riders could be seen travelling steadily southward.

"Will they attack us, father?"

"I guess not. We are too strong, even if they were hostile."

"They won't make any muss," said Pine, confidently, as he again rode
forward. "There's only some two dozen on 'em, and it isn't a good time
for a fight."

It was evident that the two lines of travel, crossing each other at
right angles, would bring the white and red men pretty near each other,
and the latter even went out of their way to have it so. Sile all but
forgot how thirsty he was when the train approached the straggling array
of lances, and a bare-headed warrior rode out to meet Yellow Pine. The
Roman-nosed sorrel mare sniffed at the pony as if she would have
preferred a bucket of water, and the two riders held out their hands.

"How?" said Pine.

"Ugh! bad. No water. How?"

A significant motion of his hand towards his mouth accompanied the
response, and Pine made one like it. Then he pointed at the wagons, and
again towards the west, and made motions as if he were digging. The
Indian understood, and nodded and pointed at himself:

"Ugh! Kiowa."

He made a motion as if pulling a bow, pointed southward and pretended to
drink something, but when he turned his finger towards the west he shook
his head.

"How?" said Pine again, and the two shook hands and all the Kiowas rode
on as if they were in a hurry.

"That's a pretty bad report," said Pine to Judge Parks, and Sile
muttered to himself:

"Why, he hardly uttered a word."

"What does he say?" asked his father.

"Worst kind," said Pine. "He says they have been hunting northerly for
several weeks. Little game, and the drought driving it all away. He
doubts if we find any water between here and the mountains. Hopes to
reach it by to-morrow night in the direction he's taking. The rest of
his band are down there now."

"Did he say all that?" exclaimed Sile in amazement.

"You wasn't a-watchin' of him. I told him what I thought about it