“If we could change horses every ten or twelve miles, we might keep it up for a day at a time, but we should have to have two or three hundred horses waiting for us at the different stations,” observed Alden, thinking to close the argument. “How would it do fur us to ride ahead and fix it dat way? Den we could come back and skim ober de kentry like a couple ob muskeeters.” “After we had placed our ponies at the last station this side of Sacramento, what should we gain by coming here and going over the ground a _second_ time?” Jethro lifted his well worn hat and scratched his head. “Dat’s so; I didn’t tink ob dat; blamed queer how it slipped my mind――what’s de matter wid Shagbark?” Before the flying horseman vanished in the distance, the emigrant train resumed its slow progress. The massive guide, on the back of his gaunt steed, kept his place well in advance. Often he went for hours without looking back to note in what order the company were following him, but now he had turned like Alden did a few minutes before, and, without checking his steed or shifting his course, was gazing fixedly to the rear. His brierwood was between his lips, and from the thicket of whisker and mustache the blue vapor issued as if from the funnel of a small steamcraft. At the moment the two youths looked at him, he raised one of his huge hands and beckoned. “His eyes are on us,” said Alden. “He’s looking at me,” added Jethro; “he feels bad at de way he snubbed me jest arter we started, and means to apolergize; he don’t want you; notice now. Gee up, Jilk!” The negro twitched the rein, and his pony struck a moderate trot. He had not crossed a fourth of the intervening distance, when the guide thundered: “NO! I don’t want ye, ye black imp! Stay whar ye are! Young Payne is the chap I meant; why don’t ye come when I tell ye to come?” The laughing youth spoke to his mare, and hurried forward. “Wal, if he ain’t the mos’ umbrageous rapscallion dat eber trod on two legs,” growled Jethro as his friend passed him, hurrying to answer Shagbark’s call. Acquainted by this time with the moods of the old trapper, Alden did not speak as he drew up beside him, but waited to learn what he had in mind. “I want ye to keep with me a while,” remarked Shagbark, who had checked his animal and now resumed his progress on a walk; “I’ve something to say to ye.” “I’m listening.” “Have ye obsarved anything ’tickler?” Uncertain what was meant, the youth replied: “I can’t say that I have: what do you mean?” “Ye carry a telescope by a cord round your neck; ’spose ye use it.” Still in doubt, Alden brought the binocular round in front, and held it suspended with one hand. “In what direction shall I look?” “Anywhar ye choose, but thar’s no need of wastin’ time; p’int it ahead and a little to the left away from the river.”