f
the wind, the light dropping of pine-cones, the near and distant bark of
squirrels, the deep gobble of a turkey close at hand and the challenge
from a rival far away, the cracking of twigs in the thickets, the murmur
of running water, the scream of an eagle and the shrill cry of a hawk,
and always the soft, dull, steady pads of the hoofs of the horses.

The smells, too, were the sweet, stinging ones of spring, warm and
pleasant--the odor of the clean, fresh earth cutting its way through
that thick, strong fragrance of pine, the smell of logs rotting in the
sun, and of fresh new grass and flowers along a brook of snow-water.

"I smell smoke," said Dale, suddenly, as he reined in, and turned for
corroboration from his companion.

John sniffed the warm air.

"Wal, you're more of an Injun than me," he replied, shaking his head.

They traveled on, and presently came out upon the rim of the last slope.
A long league of green slanted below them, breaking up into straggling
lines of trees and groves that joined the cedars, and these in turn
stretched on and down in gray-black patches to the desert, that
glittering and bare, with streaks of somber hue, faded in the obscurity
of distance.

The village of Pine appeared to nestle in a curve of the edge of the
great forest, and the cabins looked like tiny white dots set in green.

"Look there," said Dale, pointing.

Some miles to the right a gray escarpment of rock cropped out of the
slope, forming a promontory; and from it a thin, pale column of smoke
curled upward to be lost from sight as soon as it had no background of
green.

"Thet's your smoke, shore enough," replied John, thoughtfully. "Now, I
jest wonder who's campin' there. No water near or grass for hosses."

"John, that point's been used for smoke signals many a time."

"Was jest thinkin' of thet same. Shall we ride around there an' take a
peek?"

"No. But we'll remember that. If Beasley's got his deep scheme goin',
he'll have Snake Anson's gang somewhere close."

"Roy said thet same. Wal, it's some three hours till sundown. The hosses
keep up. I reckon I'm fooled, for we'll make Pine all right. But old Tom
there, he's tired or lazy."

The big cougar was lying down, panting, and his half-shut eyes were on
Dale.

"Tom's only lazy an' fat. He could travel at this gait for a week. But
let's rest a half-hour an' watch that smoke before movin' on. We can
make Pine before sundown."

When travel had been