e swift, comprehensive
survey, to his surprise, he found himself facing the wire-spreading
muskeg, at the very spot where he had given up further pursuit of the
cattle whose "spur" he had traced down to the brink of the viscid mire.

His astonishment rendered him oblivious to all else. He merely gazed out
across that deceptive flat and wondered. Why--why had this thing been
done, and what strange freak had induced the "hustler" to conceive such
a form of imprisonment for his captive? Horrocks struggled with his
confusion, but he failed to fathom the mystery, and never was a man's
confusion worse confounded than was his.

Presently he bethought him of his bonds, and he cautiously tried them.
They were quite unyielding, and, at each turn of his arms, they caused
him considerable pain. The Breeds had done their work well, and he
realized that he must wait the raider's pleasure. He was certain of one
thing, however, which brought him a slight amount of comfort. He had
been brought here for a definite purpose. Moreover, he did not believe
that he was to be left here alone for long. So, with resignation induced
by necessity, he possessed himself of what patience he best could
summon.

How long that solitary vigil lasted Horrocks had no idea. Time, in that
predicament, was to him of little account. He merely wondered and
waited. He considered himself more than fortunate that his captors had
seen fit to remove the bandage from his eyes. In spite of his painful
captivity he felt less helpless from the fact that he could see what
might be about him.

From a general survey his attention soon became riveted upon the muskeg
spread out before him, and, before long, his thoughts turned to the
secret path which he knew, at some point near by, bridged the silent
horror. All about him was lit by the starry splendor of the sky. The
scent of the redolent grass of the great keg hung heavily upon the air
and smelt sweet in his nostrils. He could see the ghostly outline of the
distant peaks of the mountains, he could hear the haunting cries of
nightfowl and coyote; but these things failed to interest him.
Familiarity with the prairie made them, to him, commonplace. The
path--the secret of the great keg. That was the absorbing thought which
occupied his waiting moments. He felt that its discovery would more than
compensate for any blunders he had made. He strained his keen eyes as he
gazed at the tall waving grass of the mire, as though to