r granted that Warfield and Hawkins would stop when it
became too dark to follow the hoofprints, and without Jack to show them
the way they would perforce remain where they were until daybreak.

They would do that, he reasoned, if they were sincere in wanting to
overtake Lorraine and in their ignorance that they were also following
Al Woodruff. And try as he would, he could not see the object of so
foolish a plan as this abduction carried out in collusion with two men
of unknown sentiments in the party. They had shown no suspicion of Al's
part in the affair, and Swan grinned when he thought of the mutual
surprise when they met.

He was not disappointed. They reached timber line, following the seldom
used trail that wound over the divide to Bear Top Pass and so, by a
difficult route which he did not believe Al would attempt after dark,
to the country beyond the mountain. Where dark overtook them, they
stopped in a sheltered nook to wait, just as Swan had expected they
would. They were close to the trail, where no one could pass without
their knowledge.

In the belief that it was only Lorraine they were following, and that
she would be frightened and would come to the cheer of a campfire, they
had a fine, inviting blaze. Swan made his way as close as he dared,
without being discovered, and sat down to wait. He could see nothing of
the men until Lone appeared and fed the flames more wood, and sat down
where the light shone on his face. Swan grinned again. Warfield had
probably decided that Lorraine would be less afraid of Lone than of them
and had ordered him into the firelight as a sort of decoy. And Lone,
knowing that Al Woodruff might be within shooting distance, was probably
much more uncomfortable than he looked.

He sat with his legs crossed in true range fashion and stared into the
fire while he smoked. He was a fair mark for an enemy who might be
lurking out there in the dark, but he gave no sign that he realized the
danger of his position. Neither did he wear any air of expectancy.
Warfield and Hawkins might wait and listen and hope that Lorraine,
wide-eyed and weary, would steal up to the warmth of the fire; but not
Lone.

Swan, sitting on a rotting log, became uneasy at the fine target which
Lone made by the fire, and drew Al Woodruff's blue bandanna from his
pocket. He held it to Jack's nose and whispered, "You find him,
Yack--and I lick you good if you bark." Jack sniffed, dropped his nose
to the ground