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“I guess those fellows at Timmy got scared last night after all,” remarked Raymond as the day waned and there had been no alarm.

“I hope so,” replied Sidney; “a long mountain tramp is bad enough without having to watch out all the time for highwaymen.”

“I don’t believe they would have come out so far as this, anyway. There were plenty of good places to hold us up back on the road. What do you say to making camp? I’m dead tired.”

“I’m ready to stop. If we don’t get too tired to-day we’ll travel better to-morrow.”

“Yes, and the day after, and the day after that, and so on ad infinitum. I guess it will take us ad infinitum to get through.”

“It won’t do for us to get discouraged at this stage of the game, Ray.”

“I’m not discouraged; I’m only ready to quit for the night, and here’s a good place.”

The travelers were following up a ravine through which a small stream flowed, a tributary of the larger stream on which Timour Khan Shoura was situated. At the point where Raymond proposed to stop, the wall of the ravine was a rocky bluff that rose nearly perpendicularly. A short spur jutted out, forming a small cove which faced up the ravine and made a well-sheltered spot. Across to the other side the distance was perhaps two hundred yards, and midway flowed the stream. About half a mile farther up, the walls of the ravine drew together until a narrow gorge was formed.