he aid of dogs and the dampness of night, their trail was as
easily followed as though it had been made in snow.

This declivity was rough, and in places every one was compelled to
dismount. Progress was extremely slow, and when the rising sun tipped
the peaks of the Continental Range, before them lay the beautiful
landscape where the Rio Grande in a hundred mountain streams has her
fountain-head. With only a few hours' rest for men and animals during
the day, night fell upon them before they had reached the mesa at the
foot-hills on the western slope. An hour before nightfall they came
upon the first camp or halt of the robbers. They had evidently spent
but a short time here, there being no indication that they had slept.
Criminals are inured to all kinds of hardship. They have been known to
go for days without sleep, while smugglers, well mounted, have put a
hundred miles of country behind them in a single night.

The marshal and party pushed forward during the night, the country
being more favorable. When morning came they had covered many a mile,
and it was believed they had made time, as the trail seemed fresher.
There were several ranches along the main stream in the valley, which
the robbers had avoided with well-studied caution, showing that they
had passed through in the daytime. There are several lines of railroad
running through this valley section. These they crossed at points
between stations, where observation would be almost impossible either
by day or night. Inquiries at ranches failed on account of the lack
of all accurate means of description. The posse was maintaining a due
southwest course that was carrying them into the fastnesses of the
main range of the western continent. Another full day of almost
constant advance, and the trail had entered the undulating hills
forming the approach of this second range of mountains. Physical
exertion was beginning to tell on the animals, and they were compelled
to make frequent halts in the ascent of this range.

The fatigue was showing in the two younger dogs. Their feet had been
cut in several places in crossing the first range of mountains. During
the past nights in the valley, though their master was keeping a
sharp lookout, they encountered several places where sand-burrs were
plentiful. These burrs in the tender inner part of a dog's foot, if
not removed at once, soon lame it. Many times had the poor creatures
lain down, licking their paws in anguish. On