We pointed to the carcasses, and told them those were the horses we brought for the women to ride, and that is the way they were cheated out of their passage.

The bodies of the animals had not been touched by bird or beast.

The canon was too deep and dark for either wolves or buzzards to enter, and nothing alive had been seen by us in the shape of wild game of any sort.

Firearms were useless here except for defence against Indians, and we expected no real trouble from them.
From what we could see, it was my opinion that no general rain ever fell in that region.

There was some evidence that water had at times flowed down them freely after cloud bursts, or some sudden tempest, but the gravel was so little worn that it gave no evidence of much of a stream.
We hurried on as rapidly as possible so as to get into the Jayhawker's beaten trail which would be a little easier to follow.