ve a look at these fellows. So he
tied Wildfire and, taking to the darker side of the canyon, he stole
cautiously forward.

The distance was considerable, as he had calculated. Soon, however, he
made out the shadowy outlines of horses feeding in the open. He hugged
the canyon wall for fear they might see him. As luck would have it the
night breeze was in his favor. Stealthily he stole on, in the deep
shadow of the wall, and under the cedars, until he came to a point
opposite the camp-fire, and then he turned toward it. He went slowly,
carefully, noiselessly, and at last he crawled through the narrow
aisles between thick sage-brush. Another clump of cedars loomed up, and
he saw the flickering of firelight upon the pale-green foliage.

He heard gruff voices before he raised himself to look, and by this he
gauged his distance. He was close enough--almost too close. But as he
crouched in dark shade and there were no horses near, he did not fear
discovery.

When he peered out from his covert the first thing to strike and hold
his rapid glance was the slight figure of a girl. Slone stifled a gasp
in his throat. He thought he recognized Lucy. Stunned, he crouched down
again with his hands clenched round his rifle. And there he remained
for a long moment of agony before reason asserted itself over emotion.
Had he really seen Lucy? He had heard of a girl now and then in the
camps of these men, especially Cordts. Maybe Creech had fallen in with
comrades. No, he could not have had any comrades there but
horse-thieves, and Creech was above that. If Creech was there he had
been held up by Cordts; if Lucy only was with the gang, Creech had been
killed.

Slone had to force himself to look again. The girl had changed her
position. But the light shone upon the men. Creech was not one of the
three, nor Cordts, nor any man Slone had seen before. They were not
honest men, judging from their hard, evil looks. Slone was nonplussed
and he was losing self-control. Again he lowered himself and waited. He
caught the word "Durango" and "hosses" and "fer enough in," the meaning
of which was, vague. Then the girl laughed. And Slone found himself
trembling with joy. Beyond any doubt that laugh could not have been
Lucy's.

Slone stole back as he had come, reached the shadow of the wall, and
drew away until he felt it safe to walk quickly. When he reached the
place where he expected to find Wildfire he did not see him. Slone
looked and looked.