ursuit as long as possible, to
aid Mescal in every way to some safe hiding-place, and then to seek
Holderness--that was the forethought of a man who had learned to wait.

Under the dark projection of the upper cliff Hare felt his way to the
cedar slope, and the trail, and then he went swiftly down into the
little hollow where he had left Bolly. The darkness of the forest
hindered him, but he came at length to the edge of the aspen thicket; he
penetrated it, and guided toward Bolly by a suspicious stamp and neigh,
he found her and quieted her with a word. He rode down the hollow, out
upon the level valley.

The clouds had broken somewhat, letting pale light down through rifts.
All about him cattle were lying in a thick gloom. It was penetrable
for only a few rods. The ground was like a cushion under Bolly's hoofs,
giving forth no sound. The mustang threw up her head, causing Hare to
peer into the night-fog. Rapid hoof-beats broke the silence, a vague
gray shadow moved into sight. He saw Silvermane and called as loudly
as he dared. The stallion melted into the misty curtain, the beating of
hoofs softened and ceased. Hare spurred Bolly to her fleetest. He had
a long, silent chase, but it was futile, and unnecessarily hard on the
mustang; so he pulled her in to a trot.

Hare kept Bolly to this gait the remainder of the night, and when the
eastern sky lightened he found the trail and reached Seeping Springs at
dawn. Silvermane's tracks were deep in the clay at the drinking-trough.
He rested a few moments, gave Bolly sparingly of grain and water, and
once more took to the trail.

From the ridge below the spring he saw Silvermane beyond the valley,
miles ahead of him. This day seemed shorter than the foregoing one;
it passed while he watched Silvermane grow smaller and smaller and
disappear on the looming slope of Coconina. Hare's fear that Mescal
would run into the riders Holderness expected from his ranch grew less
and less after she had reached the cover of the cedars. That she would
rest the stallion at the Navajo pool on the mountain he made certain.
Late in the night he came to the camping spot and found no trace to
prove that she had halted there even to let Silvermane drink. So he tied
the tired mustang and slept until daylight.

He crossed the plateau and began the descent. Before he was half-way
down the warm bright sun had cleared the valley of vapor and shadow. Far
along the winding white trail shone a speck.