"
"The river runs east and west," I said, "so we might perhaps better
strike to the southward."
"But I heard them say that the river bends far to the south not far from
where we crossed. We might parallel the river if we went straight
south."
"But does not the trail cut off the bend, and run straight west?" I
rejoined. Neither of us knew that the course of the north fork ran
thence far to the northwest and quite away from the trail to Laramie.
Evidently our council was of little avail. We started southwest as
nearly as we could determine it, and I admit that grave anxiety had now
settled upon me. In that monotonous country only the sun and the stars
might guide one. Now, hard as it was to admit the thought, I realized
that we would be most fortunate if we saw the wagons again that night. I
had my watch with me, and with this I made the traveler's compass, using
the dial and the noon mark to orient myself; but this was of small
assistance, for we were not certain of the direction of the compass in
which the trail lay. As a matter of fact, it is probable that we went
rather west than southwest, and so paralleled both the trail and the
river for more than a dozen miles that afternoon.
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