s and deceiving, yet they
pressed forward steadily, following the twists and turns of the pile of
sand on their right. The distance seemed more than three miles, but at
last Moore turned sharply and plunged into what resembled a narrow
ravine through the ridge. Here they struggled knee deep in the sand,
but finally emerged on the very rim overlooking the valley.

So perfectly was it concealed they were within ten feet of the edge
before the men, their heads bent in the strenuous effort to advance,
even realised its immediate presence. They halted instantly,
awestruck, and startled into silence by the wonder of that scene
outspread below. Moore grinned as he noted the surprise depicted on
their faces, and waved his hand.

"Yer better lie down an' crawl up ter the edge," he advised. "Some
hole, ain't it?"

"I should say so," and Westcott dropped to his knees. "I never dreamed
of such a place. Why it looks like a glimpse into heaven from this
sand. Dan, ain't this an eye-opener?"

"It sure is," and the marshal crept cautiously forward. "Only it's
devils who've got possession. Look at them cattle up at the further
end; they don't look no bigger than sheep, but there's quite a bunch of
'em. What's that down below, Matt? Houses, by Jingo! Well, don't
that beat hell?--all the comforts of home."

"Two big cabins," explained Moore, rather proud of his knowledge.
"Carted the logs in from ol' Baldy, more'n forty miles. One is the
bunk-house; the other is whar Mendez stops when the ol' cuss is yere.
Creep up a bit an' I'll show yer how the trail runs. Don't be afeerd;
nobody kin see yer from down below."

"All right, son, where is it?"

"It starts at the foot o' that boulder," indicating with his finger,
"an' goes along the shelf clear to the end; then thar's a drop ov maybe
five feet to that outcroppin' o' rock just below. It's wider than it
looks to be from yere. After that yer can trace it quite a spell with
yer eyes, kinder sidlin' ter the left, till yer come to that dead root
ov a cedar. Then thar's a gap or two that ain't over easy, an' a slide
down ter another shelf. Yer can't miss it, cause there's no other way
ter go."

"And what's at the bottom?"

"Them huts, an' the mouth of a damn big cave just behind 'em. I reckon
it's in the cave they've got the gal; there's places there they kin
shut up, but I don't know what they was ever made fer. I asked Lacy
wunst, but he only laughed."

The two