knows who is watching one," Dave said the evening before. "There are
always some pretty hard men about these border towns--miners who are
down on their luck; men who have had to run from the northern diggings,
and such like. We may say what we like, but they will make a guess that
we have located something rich, and are going back to work it quietly
and keep it to ourselves, and like enough some of them will take it in
their heads to follow us. Anyhow, we will travel south for a day or two,
and then turn off sharp to the west. It aint as I should grudge anyone
else a share in the mine, but the more there are the more chance of the
Injuns finding us. Besides, some of these chaps are so reckless that
like as not they would light a big fire if they wanted to cook a loaf of
bread. We three have been up that way before, although not so far as we
are going now, and we know what we have got to expect, and that, if we
are going to bring our scalps out again, we have got to sleep with our
eyes open."

Another fortnight's traveling and they had passed the last settlements,
had left Fort Mason behind them, and had entered the country that the
Apaches and kindred tribes claimed as their own.

The two lads had enjoyed the journey immensely. They had traveled about
fifteen miles a day, their pace being regulated by that of the pack
animals. During the heat of the day they had all halted in the shade of
some clump of tree or bush. Here the horses had picked up their
sustenance, grass and leaves, while the men slept. At night they had
camped, when they could find such a spot, on the banks of a stream. Then
a big fire would be lighted, a dough of flour, water, and soda would be
mixed, and placed in the baking pot. This was put among the red embers,
which were drawn over the lid so as to bake it from above as well as
below. Then, if they had no other meat, rashers of bacon would be