The country seemed very sparsely settled. Once in a great while they caught sight of a rude cabin, which appeared to contain but one room. "Have you ever been on those mountains, Mr. Boone?" asked Rupert. "Well, I've never been to the top of any of the peaks. I reckon I've been half-way up Pike's Peak (that's north of us) and Long's Peak. It's dreadful hard climbing, and there don't seem to be any good in it when you've done it. Did you want to climb up any of the mountains?" "Well, I might like to some time, but perhaps I'd better wait till another trip." "I reckon you'd better." It was clear that Mr. Boone had no desire to go mountain-climbing. He was not fond of exertion; it was easier getting over level ground. They kept to the river for as much as fifty miles. Occasionally they landed, and made a little trip into the woods, but after a while they returned again to the river. At night they slept on the ground, covering themselves with blankets. They shot a few birds, but thus far they had met with no large game. One morning Rupert had a fright. It was about four o'clock, and the light was indistinct. As he turned from one side to the other he was startled by finding that he had a bedfellow. There, coiled at his side, was a large rattlesnake, apparently asleep. Rupert did not start up suddenly. He did not dare do so, for fear of rousing his unpleasant neighbor, and perhaps receiving a bite. Rupert was naturally a brave boy, but he turned very pale, and his heart came up in his mouth. With extreme caution he moved somewhat to the opposite side, and managed to raise himself to his feet. He was not sure whether rattlesnakes had a quick sense of hearing, and this made him unusually circumspect. He wondered that the snake, which must have taken his position after he was asleep, had not attacked him before. "But I suppose he was not hungry," he reflected, and then he shuddered as he thought that, had he slept two or three hours longer, the snake might have waked up and felt ready for breakfast. In that case, he would have been a ready victim. However, he was on his feet and unhurt. Ben Boone lay ten feet away. He was snoring loudly, so loudly that Rupert wondered he had not waked up the rattlesnake, who could hardly be accustomed to sounds of that nature. He approached his companion, and, bending over, called out, "Mr. Boone," but Ben never moved. He was a sound sleeper. Rupert shook him, first gently, afterwards more roughly, till at last he opened his eyes, but seemed dazed and not quite conscious. "Eh? Eh? What's the matter?" he ejaculated at length. "Look there," said Rupert, pointing to the rattlesnake. "Oh, yes, a rattlesnake," returned Ben, wholly without excitement. "There's a good many of 'em in these parts." "That one coiled himself up close to where I was lying." "Yes, it's a way they have. Seems as if they liked company," answered Ben, coolly. "But--aren't they dangerous?"