Page:B M Bower - Heritage of the Sioux.djvu/187

THE WILD-GOOSE CHASE of green stuff that looked like a half-hearted attempt at a vegetable garden. As he passed the shed an Indian in dirty overalls and gingham shirt craned his neck around the doorway and watched him malevolently; but Pink, sighting the green patch and remembering their dire need of water, was kicking his horse into a trot and never once thought to cast an eye over his shoulder.

In that arid land, where was green vegetation you may be sure there was water also. And presently the nine were distributed along a rod or two of irrigating ditch, thankfully watching the swallows of water go sliding hurriedly down the outstretched gullets of their horses that leaned forward with half-bent, trembling knees, fetlock deep in the wet sand of the ditch-banks.

"Drink, you sons-uh-guns, drink!" Weary exclaimed jubilantly. "You've sure got it coming—and mama, how I do hate to see a good horse suffering for a feed or water, or shelter from a storm!"

They pulled them away before they were satisfied, and led them back to where green grass was growing. There they pulled the saddles off and 175