marching north. I perhaps have more reason than any of you for hastening
away, but I can spend the time profitably in regaining the use of my
limbs."

"Your little talk sounds mighty good to me," said the Panther. "In fact,
I don't see anything else to do. This cabin must have been built an'
left here 'speshully fur us. We know, too, that the Texans have all gone
home, thinkin' that the war is over, while we know different an' mebbe
we can do more good here than anywhere else. What do you say, boys? Do
we stay?"

"We stay," replied all together.

They went to work at once fitting up their house. More firewood was
brought in. Fortunately the men had been provided with hatchets, in the
frontier style, which their rescuers had not neglected to bring away,
and they fixed wooden hooks in the walls for their extra arms and
clothing. A half dozen scraped away a large area of the thin snow and
enabled the horses to find grass. A fine spring two hundred yards away
furnished a supply of water.

After the horses had eaten Obed, the Panther and Ned rode away in search
of game, leaving Mr. Roylston in command at the cabin.

The snow was no longer falling, and that which lay on the ground was
melting rapidly.

"I know this country," said the Panther, "an' we've got four chances for
game. It may be buffalo, it may be deer, it may be antelope, and it may
be wild turkeys. I think it most likely that we'll find buffalo. We're