starting capitalist that he would come no further with
us; and we were well rid of his bumptious airs and vulgarity for the
rest of the journey."

"I suppose you then came in a bee-line through Wyoming?" said Mr
Rawlings.

"Oh dear, no," answered the engineer. "We were doomed to execute a
series of right-angled triangles all through our erratic course. From
the Alkali Desert--or rather, Three Forks Camp, which was our
halting-place--we made for the Rocky Mountains, so as to reach the
Yellowstone River on this side. And that was where we had such a
terrible time of it."

"I expect so," said Mr Rawlings; "the Rocky Mountains are no joke in
winter time, for they are not easy by any means even in summer."

"We lost a lot of animals and nearly all our baggage," continued Ernest
Wilton; "so when we got to Virginia City, on the Yellowstone, the
majority of our party stopped there. I would have stopped too, I must
confess, but a very energetic scientific gentleman suggested our pushing
on, to explore some oil wells that were reported to be situated to the
south of the Big Horn range."

"I know that place well," said Mr Rawlings eagerly. "The petroleum
springs are by Poison Spring Creek, as the Indians call it."

"Do they?" said Ernest Wilton. "We couldn't see any creek at all; and
even the scientific gentleman got tired out, and went back to Virginia
City to join the others, and recruit, before investigating the mining
districts of Montana. I was so sick of the lot, however, that I
determined to push on to Bismark, and strike the line of the Northern
Pacific, waiting till the spring came before I undertook any further
exploring work."

"And that's how you came to us?" said Mr Rawlings.

"Yes. Two of us started to cross the Black Hills from Wyoming, along
with the Indians who engaged to guide us. According to the map I had
with me, our route would have been to strike the north fork of the
Cheyenne River, and follow it up till it emptied itself into the
Missouri, when we could have pursued the left bank of the latter due
north, until it took us right into the town of Bismark, which is, I
believe, the terminus of the railway."

"Bless you! why it runs more than 100 miles farther west already," said
Mr Rawlings; "and if you wish still to communicate with your friends,
who, I can perceive from your story, there is every reason for you to be
pained at your separation from, why, you'll be able to join them in
Virg