nor
Curly expected to find the ranchman alive, though neither could have
given letter and line for this belief. As for Juan, his face was
expressionless as ever. On the morning of this second day they began
to cross the great ribbon-like pathways of the northern cattle trail,
these now and then blending with the paths of the vanished buffalo.
The interweaving paths of the cattle trail were flat and dusty, whereas
the buffalo trails were cut deep into the hard earth. Already the dust
was swept and washed out of these old and unused ways, leaving them as
they were to stand for many years afterward, deep furrows marking the
accustomed journeyings of a now annihilated race.

All the wild animals of the plains know how to find their way to water,
and the deep buffalo paths all met and headed for the water that lay
ahead, and which was to be approached by the easiest possible descent
from the table-land through the breaks. Along one of these old trails
the horse had come up from the valley, and hence it was down this same
trail that Juan eventually led the two searchers for the horse's owner.
The ponies plunged down the rude path which wound among the ridges and
cut banks, and at last emerged upon the flat, narrow valley traversed
by the turbid stream, in that land dignified by the name of river.
Down to the water the thirsty horses broke eagerly, Juan following, and
lying at full length along the bank, where he lapped at the water like
a hound.

"_Que camina--onde, amigo_?" asked Curly in cowboy _patois_. "Which
way?"

The Mexican pointed up the stream with carelessness, and they turned
thither as soon as the thirst of all had been appeased. As they
resumed the march, now along the level floor of the winding little
valley. Franklin was revolving a certain impression in his mind. In
the mud at the bank where they had stopped he had seen the imprint of a
naked foot--a foot very large and with an upturned toe, widely
spreading apart from its fellows, and it seemed to him that this track
was not so fresh as the ones he had just seen made before his eyes.
Troubled, he said nothing, but gave a start as Curly, without
introduction, remarked, as though reading his thoughts:

"Cap, I seen it, too."

"His footprint at the bank?"

"Yep. He's shore been here afore."

Neither man said more, but both grew grave, and both looked
unconsciously to their weapons. Their way now led among ragged plum
thickets, and occasiona