To-morrownightIshouldprobablybecampingwiththeVirginianinthefoot-hills。Athisletter’sbiddingIhadcomeeastwardacrossIdaho，abandoningmyhuntingintheSawToothRangetomakethisjourneywithhimbackthroughtheTetons。Itwasatrailknowntohim，andnottomanyotherhonestmen。HorseThiefPasswasthenamehislettergaveit。Businesshewasalwaysbriefwouldcallhimoverthereatthistime。Returning，hemustattendtocertainmattersintheWindRivercountry。ThereI
couldleavebystagefortherailroad，orgoonwithhimthewholewaybacktoSunkCreek。Hedesignatedforourmeetingtheforksofacertainlittlestreaminthefoot-hillswhichto-day’sridehadbroughtinsight。Therewouldbenochanceforhimtoreceiveananswerfrommeintheinterveningtime。Ifbyacertainday——whichwasfourdaysoffstill——Ihadnotreachedtheforks，hewouldunderstandIhadotherplans。Tomeitwaslikelivingbackinagesgone，thiswayofmeetingmyfriend，thischoiceofastreamsofarandlonelythatitsverycourseuponthemapswaswronglytraced。Andtoleavebehindallnoiseandmechanisms，andsetoutatease，slowly，withonepackhorse，intothewilderness，mademefeelthattheancientearthwasindeedmymotherandthatIhadfoundheragainafterbeinglostamonghouses，customs，andrestraints。Ishouldarrivethreedaysearlyattheforks——threedaysofmarginseemingtomeawiseprecautionagainstdelaysunforeseen。IftheVirginianwerenotthere，good；Icouldfishandbehappy。Ifheweretherebutnotreadytostart，good；Icouldstillfishandbehappy。AndrememberingmyEasternhelplessnessintheyearwhenwehadmetfirst，IenjoyedthinkinghowIhadcometobetrusted。InthosedaysIhadnotbeenallowedtogofromtheranchforsomuchasanafternoon’srideunlesstiedtohimbyastring，sotospeak；
nowIwascrossingunmappedspaceswithnoguidance。Themanwhocoulddothiswasscarceanylongera“tenderfoot。“
Myvision，asIrode，tookinserenelythedimfoot-hills，——to-morrow’sgoal，——andnearerinthevastwetplaintheclumpofcottonwoods，andstillnearermylodgingforto-nightwiththedottedcattleroundit。Andnowmyhorseneighed。Ifelthisgaitfreshenforthejourney’send，andleaningtopathisneckInoticedhisearsnolongerslackandinattentive，butpointingforwardtowherefoodandrestawaitedbothofus。Twiceheneighed，impatientlyandlong；andashequickenedhisgaitstillmore，thepackhorsedidthesame，andI
realizedthattherewasaboutmestillaspiceofthetenderfoot: