d Kentucky tobacco
and slipped it to the sergeant of the guard.

"They'll catch you yet, you thief of the North," warned the sergeant,
shaking a finger at the stolid Indian. "And when they do you'll hang by
the thumbs, or lose your ears." He grinned and shoved the plug into his
pocket, not seeming to be frightened by becoming an accessory after the
fact. "Our governor is in high spirits today, and our captain's face is
like the mid-day sun. He is a devil with the women, is Armijo and his
senora doesn't care a snap. Lucky man, the governor." He laughed and
then looked curiously at his silent companion. "Where do you come from,
and where do you go?"

The Delaware waved lazily toward the North. "Senor Bent. I return
soon."

"Look to it that you do, or the _calabozo_ will swallow you up in one
mouthful. I hear much about the _palacio_." He shook his finger and his
head, both earnestly.

The Delaware drew back slightly and glanced around. Drawing his blanket
about him he turned and slouched away, leaving the plaza by the first
street, and made his slinking and apologetic way to Armstrong's, there
to wait until dark. His three friends were there already and were
rubbing their pistols and rifles, elated that the morrow would find them
on the trail again. The two Arapahoes planned to accompany the caravan
as far as the Crossing of the Arkansas and there turn back toward Bent's
Fort, following the northern branch of the trail along the north bank of
the river.

"Better jine us, Tom," urged Jim Ogden. "You an' Hank an' us will stay
at th' fort till frost comes, an' then outfit thar an' spend th' winter
up in Middle Park."

"Or we kin work up 'long Green River an' winter in Hank's old place,"
suggested Zeb Houghton, rubbing his hands. "Thar'll be good company in
Brown's Hole; an' mebby a scrimmage with th' thievin' Crows if we go up
that way. Yer nose will be outer jint in th' Missouri settlements. I
know a couple o' beaver streams that ain't been teched yit." He glanced
shrewdly at the young man. "It's good otter an' mink country, too. We'll
build a good home camp an' put up some lean-tos at th' fur end o' th'
furtherest trap lines. Th' slopes o' th' little divides air thick with
timber fer our marten traps, an' th' tops air bare. Fox sets up thar
will git plenty o' pelts. I passed through it two year ago an' can't
hardly wait ter git back ag'in. It's big enough fer th' hull four o'
us."

"Thar's no money in beaver at a