orses farther up the hill and walked back to them," Dave hazarded.

"No-o, son. This job was planned careful. Now the hold-ups didn't know
whether they'd have to make a quick getaway or not. They would have their
horses handy, but out of sight."

"Why not in the dry ditch back of the cotton woods?" asked Dave with a
flash of light.

Crawford stared at him, but at last shook his head, "I reckon not. In the
sand and clay there the hoofs would show too plain."

"What if the hold-ups knew the ditch was going to be filled before the
pursuit got started?"

"You mean--?"

"I mean they might have arranged to have the water turned into the
lateral to wipe out their tracks."

"I'll be dawged if you ain't on a warm trail, son," murmured Crawford.
"And if they knew that, why wouldn't they ride either up or down the
ditch and leave no tracks a-tall?"

"They would--for a way, anyhow. Up or down, which?"

"Down, so as to reach Malapi and get into the Gusher before word came of
the hold-up," guessed Crawford.

"Up, because in the hills there's less chance of being seen," differed
Dave. "Crooks like them can fix up an alibi when they need one. They had
to get away unseen, in a hurry, and to get rid of the gold soon in case
they should be seen."

"You've rung the bell, son. Up it is. It's an instinct of an outlaw to
make for the hills where he can hole up when in trouble."

The prospector had been out of the conversation long enough.

"Depends who did this," he said. "If they come from the town, they'd want
to get back there in a hurry. If not, they'd steer clear of folks. Onct,
when I was in Oklahoma, a nigger went into a house and shot a white man
he claimed owed him money. He made his getaway, looked like, and the
whole town hunted for him for fifty miles. They found him two days later
in the cellar of the man he had killed."

"Well, you can go look in Tim Harrigan's cellar if you've a mind to. Dave
and I are goin' up the ditch," said the old cattleman, smiling.

"I'll tag along, seein' as I've been drug in this far. All I'll say is
that when we get to the bottom of this, we'll find it was done by fellows
you'd never suspect. I know human nature. My guess is no drunken cowboy
pulled this off. No, sir. I'd look higher for the men."

"How about Parson Brown and the school superintendent?" asked Crawford.

"You can laugh. All right. Wait and see. Somehow I don't make mistakes.
I'm lucky that way. Use my judgment, I re