“No; I think not. But you will do well to look out for horse-thieves. They have a secret hiding-place somewhere about this country, and if they can run off your stock they will do so.”
“We will take care, sir. And many thanks for your information. Now, you fellows [to us], right about face, and quick march!”
At which command, waving our hands to the strangers, we turned our backs upon geyser-land and once more plunged into the woods.
In the middle of the second day we came out into a fine, park-like stretch of country, and there, straight before us, ran a large, easy-flowing river,—the celebrated Yellowstone.
Following along this handsome stream, stirring up flocks of wild ducks, and disturbing the snowy pelicans which were fishing in rows upon the banks, we came presently upon the trail of a large number of horses and mules going in the opposite direction.
“Good!” exclaimed Jack. “Here’s our guide to Bozeman. This is the trail of the survey-party, whom we must have passed in the woods sometime yesterday. With this trail and the river to steer by we ought to have no trouble in finding our way.”
The discovery of this trail had a very cheering effect upon us all. Not that we needed any cheering up, for our life in the wilds was, to Percy and me at least, the jolliest time we had ever spent, but after “wandering around loose” so long, never knowing with any certainty just where we were, it was pleasant to feel that in the winding thread cast down here among the grass we had the beginning of the road home; that by taking up this thread we might follow it to the great waters upon whose farther shore we should find, we were very sure, loving hands outstretched to welcome us.
But if the finding of the trail was pleasant to us, there were two members of our party who, I almost believe, were still more delighted; namely, our faithful mules. Sober old Joe turned into it at once and pegged along with his usual businesslike air; but Calliope, feeling that the occasion demanded a more emphatic expression of her satisfaction, lifted her head and sent forth so piercing a war-cry that the ducks and the pelicans fled squawking from the vicinity, the slumbering deer sprang startled to their feet, and even my Lord, the Grizzly, roused from his lair among the distant rocks, indignantly wondered what strange wild beast it might be that thus dared to molest his ancient, solitary reign.
With merry chatter, and with pleasant thoughts of the folks at home, we jogged briskly along, camping that night on the verge of a magnificent chasm, which, Jack said, would some day be known all over the world as a sight to come and see. It was worthy of such a destiny; for it was that splendid work of Nature, the Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone, than which, as it seemed to me, there could be nothing under heaven more beautiful or more impressive.
There was a threat of rain in the sky when, early next morning, we started out again upon our northward course. Soon the roughness of the country pushed us away from the river, and we found that the trail was leading us up over the shoulder of a big mountain, among whose rock-slides and ridges it was not always easy to follow it. As we ascended we shortly found ourselves among the clouds, and through their damp and chilly folds we urged our way, ever going up and up. Presently there was a grumble of thunder and the rain began to fall; the rain soon changed to snow; so, slouching our hats over our eyes, and turning up the collars of our overcoats, we plodded on for an hour or more, until, suddenly and unexpectedly, we rode out of this premature winter into the glorious autumn sunshine. We were above the clouds.