n shoot up
higher than the back of the main ridge. There arc many trails here, made by game going to and fro in the warm summer days, or in crossing the ridges in their semi-annual migrations down to the rivers and back again to the mountains.
The temptations to take one of these trails and abandon the proper one, which is often dim and sometimes wholly indistinct, are many. It takes the shrewdest mountaineer to keep even so much as for one day s journey along the backbone without once being led aside down the spurs into the nets of chapparal, or above the impassable crags and precipices. Of course, when you can retrace your steps it is a matter of no great moment ; you will only lose your time. But with us there was no going back.
When we had reached the second bench we turned to look. Soon the heads of the men were seen to shoot above the rim of the bench below ; perhaps less than a mile away. No doubt they caught sight of us now, for the hand of the officer lifted, pointed in this direction, and he settled his spurs in his sinch, and led his men in pursuit.
Deliberately the Prince dismounted, set his saddle well forward, and drew the sinch tight as possible. We all did the same ; mounted then, and followed little Klamat, who had by this time set both arms free from the odious red shirt which was now belted about the waist, up the hill as fast as we could follow.
We reached the summit of the ridge. S
