It was evident that the two lines of travel, crossing each other at right angles, would bring the white and red men pretty near each other, and the latter even went out of their way to have it so. Sile all but forgot how thirsty he was when the train approached the straggling array of lances, and a bare-headed warrior rode out to meet Yellow Pine. The Roman-nosed sorrel mare sniffed at the pony as if she would have preferred a bucket of water, and the two riders held out their hands. "How?" said Pine. "Ugh! bad. No water. How?" A significant motion of his hand towards his mouth accompanied the response, and Pine made one like it. Then he pointed at the wagons, and again towards the west, and made motions as if he were digging. The Indian understood, and nodded and pointed at himself: "Ugh! Kiowa." He made a motion as if pulling a bow, pointed southward and pretended to drink something, but when he turned his finger towards the west he shook his head. "How?" said Pine again, and the two shook hands and all the Kiowas rode on as if they were in a hurry. "That's a pretty bad report," said Pine to Judge Parks, and Sile muttered to himself: "Why, he hardly uttered a word." "What does he say?" asked his father. "Worst kind," said Pine. "He says they have been hunting northerly for several weeks. Little game, and the drought driving it all away. He doubts if we find any water between here and the mountains. Hopes to reach it by to-morrow night in the direction he's taking. The rest of his band are down there now." "Did he say all that?" exclaimed Sile in amazement. "You wasn't a-watchin' of him. I told him what I thought about it and what we meant to do. Tell you what, my boy, if you're to meet many redskins you've got to learn sign language. It beats words all holler." "Well, I did see his hands and yours a-going." "Yes, and his face and mine too, and elbows and legs. It's as easy as fallin' off a log when you once get the hang of it." "What do you think we had better do after that?" asked Judge Parks. "Read our own signs. Push on for water till we get some. It can't be more'n one day, now. I know just about where I am. Risk my life on it." So they went forward, but that night had to be taken for rest and the morning found men and horses in a terrible plight. Not one drop of water had they left, and all they had been able to do for the horses and mules had been to sponge their parched mouths. They had camped near some trees and bushes, as usual, and it was just about daylight that Yellow Pine came to wake up his employer. "Look a' here, jedge. I was too much played out to find it last night, but here it is. Come." "Well, what is it?" asked the judge, a moment later. Yellow Pine was pointing at a broad, deeply trodden, flinty looking rut in the surface of the prairie.