At noon they passed through a defile between two mighty mountains; and when twilight came they had descended some low hills on the other side and went to camp for the night on a big grass level near the river they had followed for three days.
The level upon which they camped was much lower than the floor of the big basin, for the water from the river came tumbling out of a narrow gorge between the hills through which the herd had passed.
They were in a wild section, picturesque, rugged.

There was plenty of water; and Blackburn and Lawler both knew that there would be water enough for the herd all the way to Red Rock.

There was a section of desert before them, which they would strike before many days; but they would cross the desert in one day, barring delay; and there seemed to be no reason why the long drive should not prove successful despite the mountain trails--most of them hazardous--through which they must still pass.
And yet the men were restless.

The continued presence of an invisible menace near them, disturbed the men.

They had not seen the mysterious riders again, but there was not a man in the outfit who did not feel them--not a man but was convinced that the riders were still trailing them, watching them.
Long ago the younger men had ceased to laugh and joke.