hey enjoyed--without having been disturbed
by anything. One would have supposed that, after so much hardship, they
would have got up somewhat wearied. Strange to say, it was not so, for
they arose quite refreshed. This Lucien attributed to the bracing
influence of the light dry atmosphere; and Lucien was right, for,
although an arid soil surrounded them, its climate is one of the
healthiest in the world. Many a consumptive person, who has crossed the
prairies with flushed cheek, uttering his hectic cough, has returned to
his friends to bear joyful testimony to what I now state.

All three felt as brisk as bees, and immediately set about preparing
breakfast. They gathered a capful of the pinon cones--the seeds of
which Lucien knew how to prepare by parching and pounding. These, with
the bear's meat, gave them a good hunter's breakfast. They then thought
of their dinner, and dug up a quantity of "segos" and prairie-turnips.
They found also a mallow--the _Malva involucrata_--whose long tapering
root resembles the parsnip both in taste and appearance. All these were
baked with the bear's meat--so that the dinner, in some respects,
resembled ham, turnips, parsnips, and yams--for the root of the sego
thus dressed, is not unlike the yam, or sweet potato (_Convolvulus
batatas_).

Of course, our adventurers did not eat their dinner immediately after
breakfast. A long interval passed between the two meals, which they
employed in washing, scouring, and setting all their tackle to rights--
for this had got sadly out of order in the hurry of the previous days.
While thus engaged, they occasionally cast their eyes over the prairie,
but nothing of the buffalo could be seen. Indeed, they did not look for
them very earnestly, as they had made up their minds to stay a day or
two where they were--until their animals should be well rested, and
ready for rough work again. The latter enjoyed themselves quite as much
as their masters. There was plenty of the "grama" grass growing along
the banks of the rivulet, and that with the water was all they cared for
to make them contented and happy. Jeanette appeared to be glad that she
was no longer among the dark woods, where she had so nearly been torn to
pieces by panthers and javalies.

Before evening came the boys had finished all the little jobs which had
occupied them. Their saddles, bridles, and lassos, were put in thorough
repair, and placed upon the dry rocks. Their guns we