Yes, the boys paid their way when they went, I
reckon."
We stood now in a silent group, and what was best to be done none at
first could tell. Two of our party were for turning back down the
valley, but Auberry said he could see no advantage in that.
"Which way they've gone above here no one can tell," he said. "They're
less likely to come here now, so it seems to me the best thing we can do
is to lay up here and wait for some teams comin' west. There'll be news
of some kind along one way or the other, before so very long."
So now we, the living, took up our places almost upon the bodies of the
dead, after giving these the best interment possible. We hobbled and
side-lined our horses, and kept our guards both day and night; and so we
lay here for three days.
The third day passed until the sun sank toward the sand dunes, and cast
a long path of light across the rippling shallows among the sand bars of
the Platte; but still we saw no signs of newcomers. Evening was
approaching when we heard the sound of a distant shot, and turning saw
our horse-guard, who had been stationed at the top of a bluff near by,
start down the slope, running toward the camp.
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