rom the hollow pointed heavenwards with all their sombre spires, and
led the eye upwards ever over the rock that lost its greyness and
glinted to the gleam of snow far up in the empyrean that was sundered
from earth by the vapours and wholly spiritual. Alton realized dimly a
little of the motive of the scene, and felt that the world was good,
for, laying down the frypan, he stood up stretching his arms above his
head as he rejoiced in the strength of his vigorous manhood. Still,
like most of the bushmen, he did not express his feelings in speech.

"Charley, you'll be slow for your wedding. Turn out, the pork's done,"
he said.

They lost no time, but they did not eat in haste, and Alton glanced at
Seaforth when the meal was done. "You'll stop right here, Charley, by
the tent," he said. "I can't quite tell when Tom and I will be back
again."

Then without another word he strode into the bush, and Seaforth, who
first washed the breakfast-cans, proceeded to make a circuit of the
camp. He found the spot where the horses had been tethered with but
little difficulty, and also the hole out of which one of them had drawn
the picket-peg. The redwoods which towered above him were vast of
girth, and it would have needed a long halter to encompass them, while
there was no branch for sixty feet or so. Still, though he searched
diligently, he did not find any print which might have been left by the
paw of a panther, and regretted that there was a ridge of rock outcrop
behind the camp.

"That beast was hungry, or he wouldn't have come so near," he said.

It was near dusk when Alton came back leading one weary horse, and
darkness had closed down before Tom of Okanagan strode in with nothing
but the pack-rope he had set out with. Seaforth had supper ready, and
no questions were asked until they had eaten. Then Alton, stretching
himself at full length beside the fire, lighted his pipe.

"You found nothing after I left you where the trail split tip?" he said.

"No," said Okanagan. "Anyway, not for more than a mile. Ran into rock
and gravel, and lost the trail. Crawled round in rings most of the
day, and couldn't strike it again. Guess the beast swam the river and
lit out for home."

"Well," said Alton dryly, "I found more than that, for I ran into a
man's trail, and it wasn't very old. I think he had long boots on and
one was down at the heel. I spent an hour over it, and when it led me
into rock came back again."