a sample of her riding, she ain't far off."

"Crazy--to ride up here. Keep your eyes open, boys. We must find her,
whatever we do." Warfield gazed apprehensively at the rugged steeps on
either hand and at the timber line above them. "From here on she
couldn't turn back without meeting us--if I remember this country
correctly. Could she, Hawkins?"

"Not unless she turned off, up here a mile or two, into that gulch that
heads into Skyline," said Hawkins. "There's a stock trail part way down
from the top where it swings off from the divide to Wilder Creek."

Swan, walking just behind Hawkins, moved up a pace.

"I could go on Skyline with Yack, and I could come down by those trail,"
he suggested diffidently, Swedishly, yet with a certain compelling
confidence. "What you think?"

"I think that's a damned good idea for a square head," Hawkins told him,
and repeated it to Warfield, who was riding ahead.

"Why, yes. We don't need the dog, or the man either. Go up to the head
of the gulch and keep your eyes open, Swan. We'll meet you up here. You
know the girl, don't you?"

"Yas, Ay know her pretty good," grinned Swan.

"Well, don't frighten her. Don't let her see that you think anything is
wrong--and don't say anything about us. We made the mistake of
discussing her condition within her hearing, and it is possible that she
understood enough of what we were saying to take alarm. You understand?
Don't tell girl she's crazy." He tapped his head to make his meaning
plainer. "Don't tell girl we're looking for her. You understand?"

"Yas, Ay know English pretty good. Ay don't tell too moch." His cheerful
smile brought a faint response from Senator Warfield. At Lone he did not
look at all. "I go quick. I'm good climber like a sheep," he boasted,
and whistling to Jack, he began working his way up a rough,
brush-scattered ledge to the slope above.

Lone watched him miserably, wishing that Swan was not quite so matter of
fact in his man-chasing. If Al Woodruff, for some reason which Lone
could not fathom, had taken Lorraine and forced her to go with him into
the wilderness, Warfield and Hawkins would be his allies the moment
they came up with him. Lone was no coward, but neither was he a fool.
Hawkins had never distinguished himself as a fighter, but Lone had
gleaned here and there a great deal of information about Senator
Warfield in the old days when he had been plain Bill. When Lorraine and
Al were overtaken, then Lone wou