nearly noon
Our route lay up this divide some distance , and before we left it , some one in the rear sighted a dust cloud to the right and far behind us . As dust would hardly rise on a still morning without a cause , we turned the herd off the divide and pushed on , for we suspected Indians . Flood and Priest hung back on the divide , watching the dust signals , and after the herd had left them several miles in the rear , they turned and rode towards it , -- a move which the outfit could hardly make out . It was nearly noon when we saw them returning in a long lope , and when they came in sight of the herd , Priest waved his hat in the air and gave the long yell . When he explained that there was a herd of cattle on the trail in the rear and to our right , the yell went around the herd , and was reechoed by our wrangler and cook in the rear . The spirits of the outfit instantly rose . We halted the herd and camped for noon , and McCann set out his best in celebrating the occasion .