The snakelike course of the river was easily traced by the trees and bushes that lined its banks as it wound its way through the open prairie on both sides. Their concern was that they would have to cross that rolling treeless plain before reaching the cover of the cottonwoods beside the river. Anyone who might be watching from the river could easily see them before they got within one hundred yards. Consequently they decided to angle off toward the east to strike the river farther downstream and then work back to the point where the smoke originated. Hindered a great deal by the string of packhorses behind each rider, they knew it would not be to their advantage to be spotted by anyone in the event they were forced to run. They planned to tie the horses in the trees when they approached the camp and proceed on foot from that point.

It took almost half an hour to reach a spot on the riverbank approximately two hundred yards short of the place from which the smoke emanated. They dismounted and Harley remained there to guard the horses while Cole made his way along the bank on foot.

“Make sure don’t nobody spot you,” Harley said. “We might have to leave in a hurry if that is a pack of Sioux and they come after you. I’ll have a helluva time tryin’ to manage this big bunch of packhorses by myself.”

“I don’t plan on gettin’ caught,” Cole assured him. “But if I do, I’ll try to get off at least one round to warn you. If you hear it, don’t wait for me.” He didn’t care much for alerting a Sioux hunting party of his and Harley’s presence and losing the supply of meat they had cured to take to the Crow village, as well as the horses that were carrying it. There was also concern for the hides he was packing. He sorely needed them to trade for the ammunition and supplies he was running short of.

In spite of those concerns, however, he could not ignore the column of smoke and ride on, not knowing if someone there was in a bad situation. “I’ll whistle if it’s all clear.”

“Just be careful,” Harley reminded him once more as Cole started out along the bank of the river.