, and we stole carefully down
to meet him. In the brush that concealed our horses Piegan dismounted,
and, seating himself tailor-fashion on the ground, began to fill his
pipe.

"First thing," said he, "we're a little behind the times. Your birds has
took wing and flew the coop."

"Took wing--how? And when?" we demanded.

"You'll _sabe_ better, I reckon, if I tell yuh just how I made out,"
Piegan answered, after a pause to light his pipe. "When I got there last
night they was most all asleep. But this mornin' I got a chance to size
up the whole bunch, and nary one uh them jaspers I wanted t' see was in
sight. So whilst we was eatin' breakfast I begins t' quiz, an', one way
an' another, lets on I wanted t' see that Injun scout. One feller up an'
tells me he guess I'll find the breed at Fort Walsh, most likely. After
a while I hears more talk, an' by askin' a few innocent questions I gets
next t' some more. Puttin' this an' that together, this here's the way
she stacks up: Lessard, as you fellers took notice, went in t' Walsh,
takin' several men with him, Gregory bein' among the lot. He leaves
orders that these fellers behind are t' comb the country till he calls
'em off. Yesterday mornin', in the thick uh the storm, a buck trooper
arrives from Walsh, bearin' instructions for Goodell, Hicks an' another
feller, which I reckon is Bevans. So when she clears up a little along
towards noon, these three takes a packadero layout an' starts,
presumable for Medicine Lodge. An' that's all I found out from the
Policemen."

"Scattered them around the country, eh?" Mac commented. "Damn it, we're
just as far behind as ever."

"Hold your hosses a minute," Piegan grinned knowingly. "I said that was
all I found out from the red jackets--but I did a little prognosticatin'
on my own hook. I figured that if them fellers hit the trail yesterday
afternoon as soon as the storm let up, they'd make one hell of a good
plain track in this sloppy goin' an' I was curious t' see if they lit
straight for the Lodge. So when the bunch got out quite a ways, I quits
the camp an' swings round in a wide circle--an' sure enough they'd left
their mark. Three riders an' two pack-hosses. Easy trackin'? Well, I
should say! They'd cut a trail in them doby flats like a bunch uh
gallopin' buffalo. Say, where _is_ Medicine Lodge?"

"Oh, break away, Piegan," Mac impatiently exclaimed. "What are you
trying to get at? You know where the Lodge is as well as I do."