sir; they swarm. Chris and I saw a big one down in the river-bed
this afternoon."

"Pooh!" cried the doctor. "But this is your bed, not the river's. It
is not likely that one would be here. If there were any about, they'd
be a deal more likely to favour me by the fire. You've been dreaming,
my boy."

"Oh no, sir. It was too horribly real."

"Real enough, but some little animal--a mouse, more likely," said the
doctor, putting out the second match he had lit most carefully. "Look
here, have you boys got matches?"

"Yes, father."

"Be careful how you use them, then. This place is as dry as tinder.
Now then, go to sleep."

He backed out of the place, and the boys lay listening to the rustle and
crackle of his departing steps.

"Think it was--not a snake, Chris?" said Ned, at last.

"Yes. If it had been a rattler father wouldn't have gone off like that.
You didn't feel it crawl, did you?"

"Yes, right up in my chest, and I bore it till I felt it touch my neck,
and then--Oh, it was a horrid sensation!"

"Yes," said Chris slowly, "a horrid sensation, but it wasn't a rattler.
I say, think you can go to sleep now?"

"I'm going to try. But, I say, I never thought that sleeping out in the
wilds--"

"We haven't got to the wilds yet," said Chris.

"No, no; but this is bad enough."

"Pooh! We shall get used to it, and think nothing of sleeping anywhere.
I say, I was asleep, and you woke me out of a beautiful dream--such a
lovely one."

"Did I?" said Ned, rather uneasily. "What was it?"

"I dreamed that we had found the place just as it is on the map, and you
couldn't put your foot down anywhere without treading upon gold; and
then your rattlesnake came and spoiled it. Here, I'm going to sleep
again to finish that dream. Can't you go now?"

"I'll try," said Ned, who felt horribly ashamed about his false alarm.

But it took no trying. Five minutes later both boys were sleeping
soundly after this initiation in what they would have to encounter
during their wild journey.

CHAPTER TEN.

ON THE WAY.

Ned was ready to laugh at his scare when riding forward in the sunshine
of a brilliant morning. He had been awakened by Griggs with a cheery
hail, to find the cool damp air of morning impregnated with the
agreeable odour of coffee fuming away over the embers of a crackling
fire which showed up the browsing animals here and there in the
darkness. Then came a hearty breakfast, over which the day