！　Had　you　been　friends　to　me　or　mine；　why　did　you　not　raise　your　voice　in　protest　when　they　were　strangling　the　life　out　of　the　father　of　my　children？　Away；　you　cowardly　hounds！　I've　hired　a　few　Mexicans　to　help　me；　and　I　want　none　of　your　sympathy　in　this　hour。　Was　it　your　hand　that　cut　him　down　from　the　tree　this　morning；　and　if　it　was　not；　why　do　I　need　you　now？　Is　my　shame　not　enough　in　your　eyes　but　that　you　must　taunt　me　further？　Do　my　innocent　children　want　to　look　upon　the　faces　of　those　who　robbed　them　of　a　father？　If　there　is　a　spark　of　manhood　left　in　one　of　you；　show　it　by　leaving　me　alone！　And　you　other　scum；　never　fear　but　that　you　will　clutter　hell　in　reward　for　last　night's　work。　Begone；　and　leave　me　with　my　dead！
  The　circus　had　ended。　The　lateness　of　the　hour　was　unobserved　by　any　one　until　John　Levering　asked　me　if　he　should　bring　in　my　horse。　It　lacked　less　than　half　an　hour　until　the　guards　should　change；　and　it　was　high　time　our　outfit　was　riding　for　camp。　The　innate　modesty　of　my　wrangler；　in　calling　attention　to　the　time；　was　not　forgotten；　but　instead　of　permitting　him　to　turn　servant；　I　asked　him　to　help　our　cook　look　after　his　utensils。　On　my　return　to　the　wagon；　Parent　was　trying　to　quiet　a　nervous　horse　so　as　to　allow　him　to　carry　the　Dutch　oven　returning。　But　as　Levering　was　in　the　act　of　handing　up　the　heavy　oven；　one　of　Forrest's　men；　hoping　to　make　the　animal　buck；　attempted　to　place　a　briar　stem　under　the　horse's　tail。　Sponsilier　detected　the　movement　in　time　to　stop　it；　and　turning　to　the　culprit；　said：　〃None　of　that；　my　bully　boy。　I　have　no　objection　to　killing　a　cheap　cow…hand；　but　these　cooks　have　won　me；　hands　down。　If　ever　I　run　across　a　girl　who　can　make　as　good　pies　as　we　had　for　supper；　she　can　win　the　affections　of　my　young　and　trusting　heart。〃
  CHAPTER　XVII。　WATER…BOUND
  Our　route　was　carrying　us　to　the　eastward　of　the　Black　Hills。　The　regular　trail　to　the　Yellowstone　and　Montana　points　was　by　the　way　of　the　Powder　River；　through　Wyoming；　but　as　we　were　only　grazing　across　to　our　destination；　the　most　direct　route　was　adopted。　The　first　week　after　leaving　the　Niobrara　was　without　incident；　except　the　meeting　with　a　band　of　Indians；　who　were　gathering　and　drying　the　wild　fruit　in　which　the　country　abounded。　At　first　sighting　their　camp　we　were　uneasy；　holding　the　herd　close　together；　but　as　they　proved　friendly；　we　relaxed　and　shared　our　tobacco　with　the　men。　The　women　were　nearly　all　of　one　stature；　short；　heavy；　and　repulsive　in　appearance；　while　the　men　were　tall；　splendid　specimens　of　the　aborigines；　and　as　uniform　in　a　dozen　respects　as　the　cattle　we　were　driving。　Communication　was　impossible；　except　by　signs；　but　the　chief　had　a　letter　of　permission　from　the　agent　at　Pine　Ridge；　allowing　himself　and　band　a　month's　absence　from　the　reservation　on　a　berrying　expedition。　The　bucks　rode　with　us　for　hours；　silently　absorbed　in　the　beeves；　and　towards　evening　turned　and　galloped　away　for　their　encampment。
  It　must　have　been　the　latter　part　of　July　when　we　reached　the　South　Fork　of　the　Big　Cheyenne　River。　The　lead　was　first　held　by　oiie　and　then　the　other　herd；　but　on　reaching　that　watercourse；　we　all　found　it　more　formidable　than　we　expected。　The　stage　of　water　was　not　only　swimming；　but　where　we　struck　it；　the　river　had　an　abrupt　cut…bank　on　one　side　or　the　other。　Sponsilier　happened　to　be　in　the　lead；　and　Forrest　and　myself　held　back　to　await　the　decision　of　the　veteran　foreman。　The　river　ran　on　a　northwest　angle　where　we　encountered　it；　and　Dave　followed　down　it　some　distance　looking　for　a　crossing。　The　herds　were　only　three　or　four　miles　apart；　and　assistance　could　have　been　rendered　each　other；　but　it　was　hardly　to　be　expected　that　an　older　foreman　would　ask　either　advice　or　help　from　younger　ones。　Hence　Quince　and　myself　were　in　no　hurry；　nor　did　we　intrude　ourselves　on　David　the　pathfinder；　but　sought　out　a　crossing　up　the　river　and　on　our　course。　A　convenient　riffle　was　soon　found　in　the　river　which　would　admit　the　passage　of　the　wagons　without　rafting；　if　a　cut…hank　on　the　south　side　could　be　overcome。　There　was　an　abrupt　drop　of　about　ten　feet　to　the　water　level；　and　I　argued　that　a　wagon…way　could　be　easily　cut　in　the　hank　and　the　commissaries　lowered　to　the　river's　edge　with　a　rope　to　the　rear　axle。　Forrest　also　favored　the　idea；　and　I　was　authorized　to　cross　the　wagons　in　case　a　suitable　ford　could　be　found　for　the　cattle。　My　aversion　to　manual　labor　was　quite　pronounced；　yet　John　Q。　Forrest　wheedled　me　into　accepting　the　task　of　making　a　wagon…road。　About　a　mile　above　the　riffle；　a　dry　wash　cut　a　gash　in　the　bluff　bank　on　the　opposite　side；　which　promised　the　necessary　passageway　for　the　herds　out　of　the　river。　The　slope　on　the　south　side　was　gradual；　affording　an　easy　inlet　to　the　water；　the　only　danger　being　on　the　other　bank；　the　dry　wash　not　being　over　thirty　feet　wide。　But　we　both　agreed　that　by　putting　the　cattle　in　well　above　the　passageway；　even　if　the　current　was　swift；　an　easy　and　successful　ford　would　result。　Forrest　volunteered　to　cross　the　cattle；　and　together　we　returned　to　the　herds　for　dinner。
  Quince　allowed　me　one　of　his　men　besides　the　cook；　and　detailed　Clay　Zilligan　to　assist　with　the　wagons。　We　took　my　remuda；　the　spades　and　axes；　and　started　for　the　riffle。　The　commissaries　had　orders　to　follow　up；　and　Forrest　rode　away　with　a　supercilious　air；　as　if　the　crossing　of　wagons　was　beneath　the　attention　of　a　foreman　of　his　standing。　Several　hours　of　hard　work　were　spent　with　the　implements　at　hand　in　cutting　the　wagon…way　through　the　bank；　after　which　my　saddle　horses　were　driven　up　and　down；　and　when　it　was　pronounced　finished；　it　looked　more　like　a　beaver…slide　than　a　roadway。　But　a　strong　stake　was　cut　and　driven　into　the　ground；　and　a　corral…rope　taken　from　the　axle　to　it；　without　detaching　the　teams；　the　wagons　were　eased　down　the　incline　and　crossed　in　safety；　the　water　not　being　over　three　feet　deep　in　the　shallows。　I　was　elated　over　the　ease　and　success　of　my　task；　when　Zilligan　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　first　herd　had　not　yet　crossed。　The　chosen　ford　was　out　of　sight；　but　had　the　cattle　been　crossing；　we　could　have　easily　seen　them　on　the　mesa　opposite。　〃Well；〃　said　Clay；　〃the　wagons　are　over；　and　what's　more；　all　the　mules　in　the　three　outfits　couldn't　bring　one　of　them　back　up　that　cliff。〃
  We　mounted　our　horses；　paying　no　attention　to　Zilligan's　note　of　warning；　and　started　up　the　river。　But　before　we　came　in　view　of　the　ford；　a　great　shouting　reached　our　cars；　and　giving　our　horses　the　rowel；　we　rounded　a　bend；　only　to　be　confronted　with　the　river　full　of　cattle　which　had　missed　the　passageway　out　on　the　farther　side。　A　glance　at　the　situation　revealed　a　dangerous　predicament；　as　the　swift　water　and　the　contour　of　the　river　held　the　animals　on　the　farther　side　or　under　the　cut…bank。　In　numerous　places　there　was　footing　on　the　narrow　ledges　to　which　the　beeves　clung　like　shipwrecked　sailors；　constantly　crowding　each　other　off　into　the　current　and　being　carried　downstream　hundreds　of　yards　before　again　catching　a　foothold。　Above　and　below　the　chosen　ford；　the　river　made　a　long　gradual　bend；　the　current　and　deepest　water　naturally　hugged　the　opposite　shore；　and　it　was　impossible　for　the　cattle　to　turn　back；　though　the　swimming　water　was　not　over　forty　yards　wide。　As　we　dashed　up；　the　outfit　succeeded　in　cutting　the　train　of　cattle　and　turning　them　back；　though　fully　five　hundred　were　in　the　river；　while　not　over　one　fifth　that　number　had　crossed　in　safety。　Forrest　was　as　cool　as　could　be　expected；　and　exercised　an　elegant　command　of　profanity　in　issuing　his　orders。
  〃I　did　allow　for　the　swiftness　of　the　current；〃　said　he；　in　reply　to　a　criticism　of　mine；　〃but　those　old　beeves　just　drifted　downstream　like　a　lot　of　big　tubs。　The　horses　swam　it　easy；　and　the　first　hundred　cattle　struck　the　mouth　of　the　wash　square　in　the　eye；　but　after　that　they　misunderstood　it　for　a　bath　instead　of　a　ford。　Oh；　well；　it's　live　and　learn；　die　and　forget　it。　But　since　you're　so　d　strong　on　the　sabe；　suppose　you　suggest　a　way　of　getting　those　beeves　out　of　the　river。
  It　was　impossible　to　bring　them　back；　and　the　only　alternative　was　attempted。　About　three　quarters　of　a　mile　down　the　river　the　cut…bank　shifted　to　the　south　side。　If　the　cattle　could　swim　that　distance　there　was　an　easy　landing　below。　The　beeves　belonged　to　Forrest's　herd；　and　I　declined　the　proffered　leadership；　but　plans　were　outlined　and　we　started　the　work　of　rescue。　Only　a　few　men　were　left　to　look　after　the　main　herds；　the　remainder　of　us　swimming　the　river　on　our　horses。　One　man　was　detailed　to　drive　the　contingent　which　had　safely　forded；　down　to　the　point　where　the　bluff　bank　shifted　and　the　incline　commenced　on　the　north　shore。　The　cattle　were　clinging；　in　small　bunches；　under　the　cut…bank　like　swallows　to　a　roof　for　fully　a　quarter…mile　below　the　month　of　the　dry　wash。　Divesting　ourselves　of　all　clothing；　a　squad　of　six　of　us；　by　way　of　experiment；　dropped　over　the　bank　and　pushed　into　the　river　about　twenty　of　the　lowest　cattle。　On　catching　the　full　force　of　the　current；　which　ran　like　a　mill…race；　we　swept　downstream　at　a　rapid　pace；　sometimes　clinging　to　a　beef's　ta