The journey to the beach usually took about three days, but as this was the first time that a party had gone down so heavily laden, it was estimated that another day would be occupied on the road. Ten days passed, however, without any signs of the absentees, and Bennett, complaining of Heinz's delay, sent a coolie to hurry him up, there being a considerable quantity of produce ready for transportation.

Another week elapsed without word from either Heinz or the messenger, who had followed him, and the camp became alarmed. At length it was decided that the whole force should go down to investigate the cause of trouble if trouble there was; so, fully armed, the two white men, with revolvers and Spencer rifles, and the coolies with machettes and knives, the camp was left behind early one morning.

That night they reached the first camping place on the trail, at the foot of a majestic fall of water, where they found plenty of evidence of Heinz having rested. They took comfort from this, and the next morning resumed their march in better spirits.

Towards noon they reached a narrow canyon where the trees almost met overhead, making the pathway very dark. To their astonishment they found the path strewn with numerous boulders, which Walker averred had not been there when he had last traversed the route some four or five weeks earlier.

This looked suspicious, but, consoling themselves with the idea that they had probably been loosened from the overhanging rocks and rolled down during a heavy rain storm that had struck the district a few days previously, they examined their weapons and entered the pass in Indian file, Bennett leading the way, followed by the coolies, with Walker bringing up the rear.

They were about half way through the defile when without a moment's warning a shower of boulders was hurled upon them from above.

Panic seized the coolies, and not knowing which way to run for safety, they huddled together like a lot of sheep, two or three of them going down under the heavy missiles.

Bennett and Walker fired upwards with the hope of hitting some of their invisible foes, but in a moment an attack was made upon them from the front by fully two score of hideously painted savages, in a state of nudity except for small blue loin cloths and immense head-dresses, adorned with feathers and grasses of brilliant colors. They were armed witn bows and arrows and long broad-bladed spears, and after sending in a flight of arrows, boldly charged.

However, they were received with such a fusilade from the Spencers and revolvers that they wavered; and, as several fell under the fire, turned and fled.

Bennett and Walker, fearing an attack from the rear which would close their only avenue of escape, rallied the coolies, three of whom had to be carried, and beat a retreat, fortunately finding the way open. As they left the canyon they were followed by their assailants but a judicious rifle shot once in a while served to keep them at a respectful distance.

Their position now was serious; for cut off from the shore and a day's march from their upper camp, they would be compelled to stand off their enemies for a night in the open country.

One of the injured coolies was found to be dead and the other two so desperately hurt that they were utterly helpless. Litters were made for these two and the little party moved on keeping a bright look-out for a shelter which they could defend during the approaching darkness.

Providence came to their aid in a totally unexpected manner, for, arrived at the foot of the waterfall where they had passed the previous night, Walker whilst bathing a slight wound in his ankle happened to discover a small opening in the rocks over which the cascade bounded.

By the exercise of great care he managed to cross the slippery rocks and found himself at the mouth of a cave which receded until its depth was lost in darkness.

He returned to his companions and at once a brisk fire was opened upon the savages wherever they could be seen; he and Bennett even going forward to the attack.

This action was continued for some time, the fiends being gradually driven away for they could not face firearms. At length a dash was made for the cave and the whole party succeeded in entering.

All night long they kept a strict watch but saw nothing to further alarm them. At daylight they cautiously made a sortie, and seeing no indications of their foes' proximity, once more took their way to the shore.

In the canyon they found two dead savages who from their tattoo marks and head-dresses were recognized by the coolies to belong to the Hak-Ka tribe, one of the fiercest which infest the country.

They pushed on by forced marches and eventually reached Gilchrist and his men in the beach house. It appeared that they also had sustained an attack, presumably by the same band of Hak-Kas, but the house being well barricaded and situated in the open where a surprise I could not be effected as long as a good watch was kept, the savages had been easily beaten off. Possibly the assault was but a half-hearted affair as the presence of the schooner ensured a ready means of retreat for the besieged in case of necessity, and consequently the assailants had little chance of obtaining the much-desired skulls. They also were probably aware that there was

no camphor in the hut, and judged that the available loot was not worth tue loss of life which a victory would have entailed.

Gilchrist had no news to give of Heinz or the other missing men, and it was decided that a search should be instituted. During the next two or three weeks several attempts were made to reach the abandoned camp, but the trail was in the hands of too strong a force to break through, and as it seemed certain that the camp had by that time been cleaned out, and no trace could be found of Heinz and his coolies, it was agreed that there was nothing for it but to embark again.

This was done, and upon arrival at Tai-Wan-Foo our expedition was at once organized to make the journey overland.

As expected, the camp was found to have been most effectively looted, and nothing more was ever heard of Heinz and the others whose polished skulls most likely now adorn the huts of some of the dreaded Hak-Ka tribe.

Such being the risk, even at present day, attached to collecting camphor, it need not be wondered at that the price is high, and ladies should remember this when they lift their eyebrows at being asked a few cents extra for the two or three small balls which they require to throw into their bureau drawers.

ES," said Long Ike, bullwhacker,

with a queer laugh, as we lay beside the camp fire down in the Platte bottom below Denver. "I was a tenderfoot

onct, me, looking as I do." Yet at the moment no man between Maine and California could have looked less like a tenderfoot than this hardy frontiersman who had crossed the Great Plains not less than a dozen times with his freight teams.

"Yes," he repeated, "I was a tenderfoot onct, and right thar's the proof of it;" and at the world he shoved forward a big, misshapen boot innocent of blacking or grease. "Thar's nothing but a wad of cotton batten inside that 'ar, where three of my best toes had orter be. Froze 'em off, I did, in '59, somewheres in between the Smoky Hill Fork and the Platte River. You bet my feet was tender enough then.

"It was when the Pike's Peak excitement broke out, and folks were in such a blamed hurry to get out here that they some of 'em actually piled their truck on to hand carts and shoved 'em the whole five hundred miles from the Stat 3.

But I didn't care about pushing no hand cart, me; so I paid a feller as had a bullteam fifteen dollars to tote my outfit along for me, and I jes' hoofed it alongside. We come the Smoky Hill route, and, of course, like the rest of the pilgrims, we had to burn buffalo chips for our camp fire. Every night when we made camp I used to take a gunny bag and skip around and pick up all the dry chips I could find, for it was late in the fall and the nights was getting mortal cold.

"One night we made a dry camp in a place where cuips was scarce, and I wandered off a goodish way hunting for 'em. It had grown plump dark when I'd filled the bag and turned to strike out for camp. I had started out south from the road, and all the time I was hunting for chips I kept in my mind as how due north was the bee-line direction that I'd orter take to get back to camp-leastwise, that's what I thought. But after I turned for home I walked for hours, and nary sign of camp could I see. At last I was clean give out, so I struck a match and lit a fire with my bag of chips and lay by it till dawn. I felt sure that come daylight I'd find the wagon again easy enough.

"Daylight come, and I hunted for that

I was

wagon, but nary wagon! I still kept on working northwards, thinking that I was bound to cut the wheel-tracks somewheres; but nary wheel-track! lost-that's what I was. I tell you it's an awful thing to have happen to a man out on them great plains. Lost men have gone raving mad in a few nours, and have been found by their friends (if they were lucky) when they'd stripped themselves stark naked and were running round in circles swearing that the sun had got into the wrong part of the sky. Them as weren't found had their bones picked by the coyotes.

"But I wasn't going to let myself get turned round in no such crazy way, and I swore to keep a firm grip on myself. I aone it, too; I told myself that the roal lay north of me and north I would go; I wouldn't allow myself to see that I must have crossed the road in the dark night without knowing it, so that every mile as I walked northwards looking for it I was leaving it further and further behind.

"Wal, the second night I was plump give out, and I was starving. But I still had matches, and I made a fire of chips to sleep by. I hadn't no gun, no sort of wepping 'cept an old butcher knife. I dug grass roots with that and I chewed all the next day on them, but buffalo grass roots ain't what you mignt call nourishing.

"I never could tell how many days I went on like that; fact is, I must have grown light-headed. I found water many times, for all over the plains the traveling buffalo herds have made regular big highways to their watering places, and as often as I'd strike one of them big buffalo roads I'd follow it along and swear to myself that it was the very same wagon road as I'd lost, and that the hoof marks I see in it was the tracks of our work bulls. Of course thar was no wheel to be seen, but I made myself believe as thar was; and I traveled, hard as I could go, along them roads, like I was loony. But all the same them buffalo roads took me to water every time. I wore my butcher knife down to a miserable half-inch stump digging for grass roots. It was 'root little hog or die' for me, I can tell you, but though I was

everlastingly rooting for all I was worth, I most nigh died.

"At last my stock of matches give out, and then I thought I was bound to die sure. In fact, I guess I wanted to die, but I didn't; I wrastled on still, somehow, but the second night, as I had no fire, I froze three of my toes. Scott! but that night was cold; it got into the marrow of my bones, till I was crazy after something richer than grass roots-something as would warm me, and then first thing next morning I came upon a prairie-dog town.

"If I'd only had a revolver! But it was no use wishing. Lame as I was I ran here after them and I ran there, trying to catch 'em with my hands, but of course every time just before I got to the hole the dog popped down it out of sight. At last I fell from weakness-I was plump petered out and I lay where I fell, as still as a log. It happened that I lay close to the hole of the last dog that I chivied. I dunno now long I laid tharmebbe an hour. And as I lay I heered the dogs begin to come out of the other holes near me and go to sqeaking again. They was mad at me lying thar. And then I heered a rustling of little feet, and here was the dog as owned the hole by which I lay coming up to inspect. I dunno how I done it, but sudden like I darted my hand out and I grabbed him.

"Scott! but how that pesky critter bit me; bit my fingers to the bone, he did. But I squeezed the life out of him in half a jiff, and I opened him with my stump of a butcher knife, and I eat him thar raw, blood, insides and all. I felt stronger then, and got up to take a look round, and the next thing I knowed here was three of them big gray buffalo wolves awatching me. I see suthin' else, too; far away. I see some black specks that I jes' swore to myself was our workbulls, grazing.

"'Saved,' I called out. "Thanks be! I'm saved at last,' and I started for 'em. Would you believe it? Them wolves come sneaking after me! They smelt the blood of the prairie dog on me, and suspicioned that I was wounded! 'Course they came along pretty cautious, for I might have been a hunter with a gun for all they knowed, but they was