Five days later they reached the stream. The miners had all recognized
points that they had passed on their former journey, and all agreed that
it was lower down on this stream that the Crow's village was situated.
For the moment this was a matter of inferior importance to them. It was
enough that they had reached water, for they had for the last four days
been traversing an arid waste of broken country, without as much as a
tree under which they could lie during the day. They had filled up all
their water skins before entering on this region, and these had sufficed
for them and their animals, but for the last two days they had been
obliged to husband it. What remained tasted so strongly of the skins
that at any other time the boys could not have drank it, but men and
horses were both filled with delight at the sight of the bright clear
water. The baggage and saddles were removed, and the animals were
allowed to drink their fill, and then to lie down in the stream while
their riders enjoyed the luxury of a bath.
They had done no cooking for the last four days, as no fuel of any sort
was to be obtained, and they lived upon the dried meat and a drink of
flour and water. The banks of the stream were well wooded, and the
animals, as soon as their thirst was quenched, fell to work upon the
grass that grew knee-deep near its banks.
"We must do some cooking to-day," Dave said, "and a good batch of it;
there is no saying when it will be safe to cook again. We must wait till
night, and then light the fire in the thickest part of these trees, and
fasten our blankets up round it to prevent its light being seen. We can
collect the firewood in readiness before it gets dark."
The spot was carefully chosen, the horseropes were fastened from tree to
tree around it, and all the blankets hung on them.
"We must take it by turns," Dave said, "to keep the fire up, and go on
baking. We will make a dozen loaves if we can."
As they sat round the fire later on they discussed their next move, and
agreed that as the river was shallow they would cross it at once, and
then follow it up stream. Should they find no landmarks answering to
those on the map, they would then return and go down the stream.
Next morning they started again, with fifteen loaves done up in a
blanket on one of the ponies. The journey was toilsome, for the river
ran in places through gorges where the rocks rose sheer from its edge,
and they were forced to make considerable detours, and to come down upon
it again. They had traveled, they calculated, but eight miles up the
stream, when they came upon a valley running east. A small stream ran
down it, and fell into the river they were following.
"This looks a likely sort of place," Dave said; "it is the sort of
valley a party exploring would be likely to follow. There is wood,
water, and grass. Now for the landmarks."
They went on until they reached the spot where the stream fell into the
river.
"We can't do better than camp here, Dave," 'Zekel said; "it has been a
rough journey for the ponies, and they will be all the better for
another good feed."
"All right," Dave agreed, "I don't see any signs of the landmarks, but
they may be somewhere about. We will unsaddle the ponies. Boys, you may
as well walk up the stream a bit. Keep your eyes open, but don't go very
far away. Keep your rifles ready for use; there is no saying but what
some prowling Indian may not have caught sight of us as we came along."
The boys unslung their rifles, which were strapped tightly to their
backs--they were already loaded--and started up the valley. In a quarter
of a mile they passed through the low wood which filled the bottom of
the valley. In front of them was an open space, bright with long grass
and flowers. In the center of this stood two large trees, one on either
side of the stream. They hurried on, and when they reached the trees
saw, to the northwest, two peaks, one nearer and lower than the other,
in an exact line. As the direction was exactly that of the two dots on
the map, they had no doubt whatever that they had hit the right spot.
They returned at once with the news to the men. Dave had already lighted
a fire, for in this sheltered valley there was little fear of the slight
smoke it made being seen, broken up as it was in its passage through the
leaves overhead.
"We have found the marks," Dick said, as they arrived. "We don't think
there can be any mistakes about them."
"Have you? That is good," and the three men at once went on to the two
trees.
"There is no doubt that is what was meant," Boston Joe said. "Wall, I am
glad to see them--it shows, anyhow, that we are right in our guess-work
as to the map, which we never felt quite sure of before, seeing them
three peaks war the only thing we had to go on, and the marks might not
have been meant for them arter all. Now the matter air clear and fixed,
and we have only got to go ahead."
"Yes, we will stick to the line they have traveled as shown in the map,
but if we miss it, it is no great odds; we know where we have got to go
to, and we can find our way there, I guess, anyhow. Still, their line
may be the best. They may have had some redskin as their guide, who knew
the country, and took them the best way. Anyhow, we can't do better than
try and follow it."