“The gully ought to be somewhere about here, but for the life of me I can’t make out where it is, and we must wait till morning.”
Chris laughed softly.
“I don’t see anything to grin at,” grumbled Griggs. “I don’t believe any Indian could find his way along here.”
“I was laughing because I could find the place.”
“How?” asked Griggs sharply.
“By coming first. My pony knows his way here.”
“Come in front,” said Griggs shortly, and Chris moved forward, gave the pony his head once more, and the clever little animal paced steadily on for about a hundred yards, and then turned off to its left and began to ascend.
“Hah! Who wouldn’t be a pony!” said Griggs, as Chris drew rein. “Then all we have to do now is to wait till they come up.”
It did not seem long before the doctor joined them, and then the whole train filed up the side gully. Steadily ascending the way ran up towards the tableland, where the grassy patch in a hollow had been selected off the track, and here the halt was made, the beasts beginning to graze at once after they had been hobbled, both ponies and mules, and seeming quite at home as soon as they were left to themselves.
“It’s a risk indeed,” said the doctor. “If the Indians should happen to ride in this direction, where should we be?”