"I
can't seem to get it through my nut. Why, it means a fortune for Miss
Mary! No wonder that skunk tried his best to do her out of it."

Buck stared at him oddly. A fortune for Mary Thorne! Somehow, until this
moment he had not realized that this must seem to every one to be the
object of his efforts--to rid Mary Thorne of all her cares and troubles
and bring her measureless prosperity. Ignorant of Stratton's identity and
of all the circumstances of her father's treachery and double-dealing, she
must hold that view herself. The thought disturbed Buck, and he wondered
uncomfortably what her feelings would be when she learned the truth.

"What's the matter?" inquired Bud suddenly. "What yuh scowlin' that way
for?"

"Nothing special," evaded Buck. "I was just thinking." After all, there
was no use crossing bridges until one came to them. "We'd better get
started," he added briskly. "We've found out all we want here, and there's
no sense in taking chances of running up against the gang."

"What's the next move?" asked Bud, when they had mounted and started back
over their trail.

"Look up Hardenberg and put him wise to what we know," answered Stratton
promptly. "We've done about all we can; the rest of it's up to him."

"I reckon so," agreed Jessup. "I never met up with him, but they say he's
a good skate. Perilla's some little jaunt from here, though. Yuh thinkin'
of riding all the way?"

"Why not? It'll be quicker in the end than going to Harpswell and taking
the train. We'll likely need the cayuses, too, when we get there. I've
done forty miles at a stretch plenty of times."

"So've I, but not with a bad ankle and a bunged-up side," returned Bud
dryly. "How yuh feelin'?"

"Fine! I've hardly had a twinge all day. That bandage stuff is great dope
for keeping a fellow strapped up comfortable."

"Well, if you're up to it, I reckon that would be better than the train,"
Bud admitted. "For one thing, if we take the trail around south of the
Rocking-R we ain't likely to meet up with anybody who'll put Lynch wise,
an' I take it that's important."

"I'll say so!" agreed Buck emphatically. "The chances are that even if he
got wind of you and me being together, he'd realize the game was up, and
probably beat it for the border. As long as we can manage to keep out of
the spot-light, he may suspect a lot of things, but considering the size
of the stake, he's likely to take a chance and hang on."

"Let's hope he don't ta