growing thicker and darker and after a while the sharp edge of the wind
was wet with rain. It stung their faces, and they drew their hat brims
lower and their coat collars higher to protect themselves from such a
cutting blast.

"Told you we might have trouble," called Petty, cheerfully, "but if you
ride right on through trouble you'll leave trouble behind. Nor this
ain't nothin' either to what we kin expect before we git to the top of
the pass. Cur'us what a pow'ful lot human bein's kin stand when they
make up their minds to it."

"Are the horses well shod?" asked Whitley.

"Best shod in the world, 'cause I done it myself. That's my trade,
blacksmith, an' I'm a good one if I do say it. I heard before we
started that you had been a soldier in the west. I s'pose that you had
to look mighty close to your hosses then. A man couldn't afford to be
ridin' a hoss made lame by bad shoein' when ten thousand yellin' Sioux
or Blackfeet was after him."

"No, you couldn't," replied the sergeant. "Out there you had to watch
every detail. That's one of the things that fightin' Indians taught.
You had to be watchin' all the time an' I reckon the trainin' will
be of value in this war. Are we mighty near to the top of the pass,
Mr. Petty?"

"Got two or three miles yet. The slope is steeper on the other side.
We rise a lot more before we hit the top."

The wind grew stronger with every rod they ascended, and the horses