He was not on the summit of the
ridge by at least half that distance, and walked along the side of the
guard-house next the cabins. He could see nothing of the surface of
the valley to the west of the ridge, and when passing along the front
of the building, as he paced backward and forward, he saw nothing to
the rear of his beat.
I expressed my opinion of the situation to the volunteer captain, but
he replied, "Pshaw! you might as well take the sentinel off, for all
the good he does as a lookout for Indians."
"Have you seen none?"
"Not a solitary moccasin, except an occasional Pueblo, since I've been
here--eleven months."
"I suppose you have scouted the country thoroughly?"
"There isn't a trail within thirty miles that I do not know. These
bundles of wolf-skins and other pelts you see going into the wagons
are pretty good evidence that my men know the country."
We walked to the kitchen, and found, hanging on the walls of the
store-room, a dozen quarters of venison, the fat carcass of a bear,
and several bunches of fowl.
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