owed no
further fear, they concluded that bruin had taken to heart the lesson
he received and would bother them no further.

The mountains still towered on every hand. The stream had long since
disappeared among the rocks and the gorge had become narrower.
Generally it was no more than a dozen feet in width, occasionally
expanding to two or three times that extent. The moon had moved over
so far that only its faint reflection against the dark walls and
masses of rock availed the horsemen. The sky seemed to contain an
increasing number of clouds and there were indications of a storm,
which might not break for a day or two, and as likely as not would not
break at all.

The traveling, despite its difficulty, was comparatively safe. The
trail did not lead along the sides of precipices, with a climbing
wall on one side and a continuous descent on the other, but it was
solid and extended across from one ridge to the other. Because of this
fact the three pushed their animals hard, knowing that it would not be
long before they would have to be favored.

"I don't know whether we are wise to keep this up as we are doing,"
said the captain, "but I know there are few places where we can travel
in the darkness and I feel like making the most of them."

"It is only a question of what the horses are able to stand," replied
Brush; "it is easy enough for us to ride, but a very different thing
for them to carry us. We must guard against their breaking down."

"I will look out for that, but it is strange that when we were making
ready to start we forgot one important matter."

"What was that?"

"We did not bring a mouthful of food."

"We shall have little trouble in shooting what game we need."

"Perhaps not and perhaps we shall. The lieutenant and I found on our
way from Sacramento that, although game appeared to be plenty, it had
an exasperating habit of keeping out of range when we particularly
needed it. Delay will be necessary to get food, and the reports of
our guns are likely to give warning, just when it is dangerous."

"It was a bad slip," assented the parson; "for there was plenty of
meat and bread at home; but we shall have to stop now and then to rest
our animals and to allow them to feed and we can utilize such
intervals by getting something for ourselves in the same line."

"It isn't that, so much as the risk of apprising the two of their
danger. In addition, it will be strange if we get through the
mountains w