wouldn't take me long to settle you."

It was no jesting matter, and Jack kept close watch of him while
threading his way to camp, as their headquarters were called. Several
times, when he turned quickly, he was startled to observe that the
animal had stolen quite close to him, as if to leap upon his shoulders;
but he showed his cowardly nature by darting back, only to return the
moment the youth turned his face away.

The question with Jack was whether he should stop and kindle a fire, or
wait until he reached the cavern. He preferred to do the latter, but it
looked unsafe to defer the precaution. The distance, however, was short,
and he hurried on until he clambered over to the plateau and was greeted
by a whinny from his pony, Dick, who was quick to recognize him. Instead
of keeping up the pursuit, or attacking one of the horses, the wolf
seemed to conclude it best to turn his attention elsewhere. He slunk
off, and was seen no more.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE QUEST OF THE COWMAN.

It was Hank Hazletine, the cowman, who leaped over the head of Jack
Dudley when he was crouching on the rock in the canyon, and it happened
in this way:

It has been intimated that when the veteran left the boy at the
temporary camp on the mountain side his intention was to learn the
whereabouts of Motoza, the Sioux, hoping thereby to gain knowledge of
the missing Fred Greenwood.

This was a task of extreme difficulty, inasmuch as it was certain the
vagrant red man would be on his guard against such strategy. The Indian
whom Hank saw with the aid of the spy-glass was not he whom he wished to
trace, but, suspecting he was in the vicinity, the cowman made his way
thither by a roundabout course. He was on the alert for the fellow, or
for his ally, Bill Tozer. Should either or both of them discover Hank,
he might well assume that it was an accident. It could hardly be
expected of him that he would remain at the cavern for twenty-four
hours, awaiting the time for Tozer to meet him. His most natural course
would be to engage in hunting with his youthful companion, and he could
reasonably claim to be thus engaged if a meeting took place.

Should events prove that the plotters were too watchful to be caught off
their guard, then the second phase of the business was to be considered;
but it remained to be seen whether such was the fact. The ransom was to
be agreed to when it was apparent that no other course could save the
lad.

Advan