"Ditto here," put in Bob. "The kind we've been turning out ain't any better than hardtack, if as good."
"Mother certainly knows how to bake bread," put in Si, softly, and then a far-away look came into his eyes as he thought of the home so many miles eastward. He could picture the others gathered around the family board, eating supper—and perhaps talking about him. He had a little streak of homesickness go over him, and to work it off set about pitching camp for the night and building a fire for the evening meal.
Many things were still wet and the boys were glad to find that plenty of firewood was handy, so that a generous blaze was started, and kept up a good part of the night, drying things out thoroughly. The Sockets camped close at hand, and in the morning the promised bread was baked and delivered. It was certainly good and the boys did not hesitate to say so. This pleased Mrs. Socket and she said she would bake them bread another time, providing they would furnish the flour.
CHAPTER X
AT FORT LARAMIE
"Bob, what is that tall rock ahead of us?"
"I don't know, Mark."
"That is what they call Chimney Rock," put in Si. "Maybe Dixon was telling me about it. It won't be long now before we reach the top of the ridge and then we'll get our first sight of the Rocky Mountains."
The young gold hunters found the vicinity of Chimney Rock very beautiful, and that day they rested at a point where they could look for a good many miles around them. Chimney Rock was of soft stone, several hundred feet high, a well-defined landmark on that strange trail. Beyond it were a series of bluffs.