must catch a train in
time to make connections for that Yellowstone trip. We've put in too
much time, and I think we ought to travel by night as well as by day,
for a while."

"Short sleeps and long marches; that's my vote," said Fitz.

"Don't do it on our account," put in the Red Fox Scouts. "But we're
game. We'll travel as fast as you want to."

So we decided. And now only three Elk Scouts, instead of six, and two
Red Fox Scouts, again we took the long trail. In the Ranger's cabin
behind was our gallant leader General Ashley, and in this other cabin by
the lake were Jed Smith and Kit Carson. Thus our ranks were being
thinned.

We followed the trail from the lake and struck the old Indian trail
again, leading over the pass. About the middle of the afternoon we were
at the pass itself. It was wide and smooth and open and covered with
gravel and short grass and little low flowers like daisies. On either
side were brownish red jagged peaks and rimrock faces, specked with
snow. The wind blew strong and cold. There were many sheep-tracks, where
bands had been trailed over, for the low country or for the summer
range. It was a wild, desolate region, with nothing moving except
ourselves and a big hawk high above; but we pressed on fast, in close
order, our packs on our backs, Major Henry leading. And we were lonesome
without Kit and Jed.

Old Pilot Peak gradually sank behind us; the country before began to
spread out into timber and meadow and valley. Pretty soon we caught up
with a little stream. It flowed in the same direction that we were
going, and we knew that we were across the pass and that we were on the
other side of the Medicine Range, at last! Hurrah!

We were stepping long, down-hill. We came to dwarf cedars, and buck
brush, showing that we were getting lower. And at a sudden halt by the
major, in a nice golden twilight we threw off our packs and halted for
supper beside the stream, among some aspens--the first ones.

About an hour after sunset the moon rose, opposite--a big round moon,
lighting everything so that travel would be easy. We had stocked up on
the jerked bear-meat, roasted on sharp sticks, and on coffee from the
cubes that the Red Fox Scouts carried, and we were ready. The jerked
bear-meat was fine and made us feel strong. So now Major Henry stood,
and swung his pack; and we all stood.

"Let's hike," he said.

That was a beautiful march. The air was crisp and quiet, the moon
mounted higher