ng in the peaceful
aspect of the range to suggest an enemy, but he kept his rifle ready and
his ears and eyes open. Once he paused abruptly when a rabbit jumped out
of a clump of quaking-aspens, a hundred yards ahead, only to chuckle at
his own overcaution.

The sun, which was still high, was shining as only a Wyoming sun can
shine, from out of a blue-vaulted canopy, flecked with fleecy clouds.
Swinging from the tops of the sagebrush, or an occasional cottonwood,
yellow-breasted meadowlarks were singing sweetly. At intervals a flock
of curlews circled above the rider, uttering their sharp, plaintive
cries; then they would drop to the ground and run rapidly to and fro on
their frail, stilt-like legs, their long ungainly bills darting from
side to side in search of food.

Over the plains, from which Wade now turned, hundreds of red and white
cattle, their hides as sleek as velvet, were grazing, singly and in
scattered groups, as far as the eye could see. Toward its mouth, the
valley was spotted with many fenced alfalfa fields, and traversed by
irrigation ditches; while to the right, in the direction in which Wade
now rode, rose the timber belt. A fresh, soft breeze, fragrant with the
odor of clean, damp earth, rustled the leaves of the cottonwoods, some
of which were of enormous size, as the horseman pushed his way farther
into the shadow of the mountains.

After a careful scrutiny, which satisfied him that the vicinity harbored
no enemies, he dismounted, but still actuated by caution, kept the
bridle reins looped over his wrist, as he searched for further evidence
of gold. Unlike Santry, the ranchman was not trained in the ways of
prospecting, and he began to regret that he had not allowed the foreman
to accompany him. He followed what he thought were promising signs
deeper into the silence of the tall timber, and finally dropped on his
knees to make sure of some outcroppings of quartz near the base of a
huge bowlder. He was so crouched when a sudden movement of his horse
warned him of danger; but he had not time to arise before a crushing
blow on the head, delivered from behind, shook him to the very marrow of
his spine. With a low groan, he toppled over onto his face, senseless.

"Have you got him?" Moran peered around the side of the bowlder, and
smiled exultantly when he saw Wade's still figure. "Throw him across
your saddle," he commanded, "and follow me."

CHAPTER XV

THE FIRST CLEW

"Let's see!" T