The first moving object we saw after passing through was a man in the distance.

He proved to be Ethan Crawford, who kept the only house of entertainment.

He was walking leisurely, drawing a rattlesnake along by its tail.

He had killed the creature and was taking it home as a trophy.

He was a stalwart man, who had always lived among the mountains, and had become as familiar with the wild beasts as with the cat and dog of his own home.