The Young Ranchers; Or, Fighting the Sioux

of the important fact. The sounds of firing ahead ought to have raised the suspicion in his mind, and the act of his pony should h

to be gained by staying where he was. There was no longer any call to push onwa

rably to the west of the second rocky ridge to which allusion has been made. In short, Warren had now set out to do that which he would not have at

h the ranch, made a sweeping curve southward, so that the marked change in the course he

or a definite point. It was on the bank of the small stream, and was not only deeply wooded, but abounded with rocks, bowlders, depressions, ravines,

against the Sioux, though they might be near at hand. He knew just where to go, for he had hunted

he ground by a spring of cold water to eat his lunch, the pony had cropped the succulent grass that grew around, and he could stand it quite w

temperature was not low, and there was not enough on the ground to interfere with the travelling of the animal, who maintained his pace until the abrupt appearance of the rocky sect

rren, "and you couldn't have come mo

ny, that he should have struck the spot so accurately, and yet it is scarcely less marvellous tha

d their purpose well in the present instance. Paying no heed to the animal, he bent over, groping his way among the rocks, which began abruptly on the edge of the prairie, and had not

y boy! Come on; we'll

of the air, the pony obeyed, though it is hardly to be

shelter which afforded good protection at night, and would do the same against any storm not too violent. A rock a dozen feet in length formed a half-circle, the upper edge projecting over to the extent of

aced, constituted what might be considered a

The second one was bitterly cold, and they kindled a fire near the entrance. The smoke caused some trouble, but

for the wild solitude through which he now began threading his way, and it was a striking tribute to his

here don't seem to be any lamps lighted, and it's best

one of the tiny bits of wood, shading the twist of flame

o have played havoc with the structure during that period, for in that part

kew. He was obliged to fling aside the match while he devoted some minutes to straightening them. This was effected so well that when he stepped i

tion was amusing, and not without its ludicrous side, with Warren holding a match in one hand, his rifle in the other, and his heavy blanket wrapped

ing and poking forward of his nose, he stepped slowly f

ung the broad, heavy blanket over the pony so as to envelop as much of him as possible, lay down close to the front of hi

prevent us from sleeping as snug

outside. Whispering to the horse to keep still, Warren slipped out from under the blanket and moved softly to the opening,