ife terminated in death,
he said, only emphasized its reality; that the death of our companion
was not an accident, though it was sudden and unexpected; that the
difficulties of life are such that it would be worse than folly in us
to try to meet them in our own strength. Death, he said, might change,
but it did not destroy; that the soul still lived and would live
forever; that death was simply the gateway out of time into eternity;
and if we were to realize the high aim of our being, we could do so by
casting our burdens on Him who was able and willing to carry them for
us. He spoke feelingly of the Great Teacher, the lowly Nazarene, who
also suffered and died, and he concluded with an eloquent description
of the blessed life, the immortality of the soul, and the resurrection
of the body. After the discourse was ended and a brief and earnest
prayer was covered, the two young girls sang the hymn, "Shall we meet
beyond the river?" The services being at an end, the coffin was
lowered into the grave.

Campbell thanked the old minister and his two granddaughters on their
taking leave, for their presence and assistance; and a number of us
boys also shook hands with the old man at parting.

CHAPTER XX

A MOONLIGHT DRIVE

The two herds were held together a second night, but after they had
grazed a few hours the next morning, the cattle were thrown together,
and the work of cutting out ours commenced. With a double outfit of
men available, about twenty men were turned into the herd to do the
cutting, the remainder holding the main herd and looking after the
cut. The morning was cool, every one worked with a vim, and in about
two hours the herds were again separated and ready for the final
trimming. Campbell did not expect to move out until he could
communicate with the head office of the company, and would go up to
Fort Laramie for that purpose during the day, hoping to be able to get
a message over the military wire. When his outfit had finished
retrimming our herd, and we had looked over his cattle for the last
time, the two outfits bade each other farewell, and our herd started
on its journey.

The unfortunate accident at the ford had depressed our feelings to
such an extent that there was an entire absence of hilarity by the
way. This morning the farewell songs generally used in parting with a
river which had defied us were omitted. The herd trailed out like an
immense serpent, and was guided and controlled by o