very old woman and a slovenly girl were at work.
No one else was to be found anywhere.

De Spain, who was the more experienced tracker, thought he could
follow the footprints to the arched opening across the patio. This was
closed only by a swinging gate, and afforded easy escape from a
pursuer. At some distance outside this gate, as de Spain threw it
open, sat Bob Scott on his horse. De Spain made inquiry of Scott. No
one had been seen. Returning to Lefever, who, greatly chagrined, had
convinced himself that Sassoon had got away, de Spain called Scott
into the patio.

A better tracker than either of his companions, Scott after a minute
confirmed their belief that Sassoon must have escaped by the window.
He then took the two men out to where some one, within a few minutes,
had mounted a horse and galloped off.

"But where has he gone?" demanded Lefever, pointing with his hand.
"There is the road both ways for three miles." Scott nodded toward the
snow-capped peak of Music Mountain. "Over to Morgan's, most likely. He
knows no one would follow him into the Gap. Just for fun, now, let's
see."

Dismounting, the Indian scrutinized the hoof-prints where the horse
had stood. Getting into the saddle again, he led the way, bending over
his horse's neck and stopping frequently to read the trail, half a
mile out along the Gap road, until he could once more readily point
out the hoof-prints to his companions. "That is Sassoon," he
announced. "I know the heels. And I know he rides this horse; it
belongs to Gale Morgan. Sassoon," Scott smiled sympathetically on
Lefever, "is half-way to Morgan's Gap."

"After him!" cried Lefever hotly. De Spain looked inquiringly at the
guard. Scott shook his head. "That would be all right, but there's two
other Calabasas men in the Gap this afternoon it wouldn't be nice to
mix with--Deaf Sandusky and Harvey Logan."

"We won't mix with them," suggested de Spain.

"If we tackle Sassoon, they'll mix with us," explained Scott. He
reflected a moment. "They always stay at Gale Morgan's or Duke's. We
might sneak Sassoon out without their getting on. Sassoon knows he is
safe in the Gap; but he'll hide even after he gets there. He takes two
precautions for every other man's one. Sassoon is a wonder at hiding
out. I've got the Thief River run this afternoon----"

De Spain looked at him. "Well?"

Scott's face softened into the characteristic smile--akin to a quiet
grin--that it often wore. "If I di