uently the trail was but a single
narrow path. Old game trails, where the elk and deer, drifting in
the advance of winter, crossed the range, had been followed by the
robbers. These game trails were certain to lead to the passes in the
range. Thus, by the instinct given to the deer and elk against the
winter's storm, the humblest of His creatures had blazed for these
train robbers an unerring pathway to the mountain's pass.

Along these paths the trail was so distinct that the dogs were an
unnecessary adjunct to the pursuing party. These hounds, one of which
was a veteran in the service, while the other two, being younger, were
without that practice which perfects, showed an exuberance of energy
and ambition in following the trail. The ancestry of the dogs was
Russian. Hounds of this breed never give mouth, thus warning
the hunted of their approach. Man-hunting is exciting sport. The
possibility, though the trail may look hours old, that any turn of the
trail may disclose the fugitives, keeps at the highest tension every
nerve of the pursuer.

All day long the marshal and posse climbed higher and higher on the
rugged mountainside. Night came on as they reached the narrow plateau
that formed the crest of the mountain, on which they found several
small parks. Here they made the first halt since the start in the
morning. The necessity of resting their saddle stock was very apparent
to Banks, though he would gladly have pushed on. The only halt he
could expect of the robbers was to save their own horses, and he must
do the same. Forcing a tired horse an extra hour has left many an
amateur rider afoot. He realized this. Knowing the necessity of being
well mounted, the robbers had no doubt splendid horses. This was a
reasonable supposition.

Near midnight the marshal and posse set out once more on the trail.
He was compelled to take it afoot now, depending on his favorite dog,
which was under leash, the posse following with the mounts. The dogs
led them several miles southward on this mountain crest. Here was
where the dogs were valuable. The robbers had traveled in some places
an entire mile over lava beds, not leaving as much as a trace which
the eye could detect. Having the advantage of daylight, the robbers
selected a rocky cliff, over which they began the descent of the
western slope of this range. The ingenuity displayed by them to throw
pursuit from their trail marked Peg-Leg as an artist in his calling.
But with t