"Be it so," said Roylston. "It is young blood. Never was there a truer
saying than 'Young men for war, old men for counsel.' But the time may
come when you will need me. When it does come send the word."

Ned judged from Roylston's manner that dark days were ahead, but the
merchant did not mention the subject again. At the end of a week, when
they were amply supplied with everything except horses, the Panther
decided to take Ned and Obed and go on a scout toward the Rio Grande.
They started early in the morning and the horses, which had obtained
plenty of grass, were full of life and vigor.

They soon left the narrow belt of forest far behind them, maintaining an
almost direct course toward the southeast. The point on the river that
they intended to reach was seventy or eighty miles away, and they did
not expect to cover the distance in less than two days.

They rode all that day and did not see a trace of a human being, but
they did see both buffalo and antelope in the distance.

"It shows what the war has done," said the Panther. "I rode over these
same prairies about a year ago an' game was scarce, but there were some
men. Now the men are all gone an' the game has come back. Cur'us how
quick buffalo an' deer an' antelope learn about these things."

They slept the night through on the open prairie, keeping watch by
turns. The weather was cold, but they had their good blankets with them
and they took no discomfort. They rode forward again early in the
morning, and about noon struck an old but broad trail. It was evident
that many men and many wagons had passed here. There were deep ruts in