e had reached the level plain, when he cantered
northward, keeping close to the rock wall of the Backbone to avoid
being seen by the searchers. When he had put a dozen miles behind him he
turned abruptly to the east, soon becoming lost to sight behind the
scattered chaparrals.

The Orphan, surmounting a rise, looked to the southwest and saw something
which almost caused his hair to rise, and raising hair was not the
rule with him, which latter is mentioned to give proper emphasis to the
seriousness of what he looked upon. He leaped to the ground and saw that
the cinches were securely fastened, after which he vaulted back into the
saddle, and, instead of offering prayer for success, sent up profanity
at the possibility of failure.

Two miles to the southwest of him he saw six horses flattened almost to
earth in keeping the speed they had attained and were holding. Back of
them lurched and rocked and heaved the sun-bleached coach, dull gray
and dusty, its tall driver standing up to his work, hatless and with
his arm rapidly rising and falling as he sent the cruel whip cruelly
home. Behind the stage whipped the baggage flap, a huge leathern apron
for the protection of luggage, standing out horizontally because of the
rush of wind caused by the speed of the coach. It flapped defiantly at
what so tenaciously pursued it. A thousand yards to the rear, riding
in crescent formation, the horns now far apart and well ahead of the
center, were five arm- and weapon-waving bronzed enthusiasts whose war
paint could just be discerned by The Orphan's good eyes and field glasses.

As yet, the reason for the lifting hair has not been disclosed, because
The Orphan was proud in his belief that he had few nerves and a dormant
sympathy, and this scene alone would not have aroused much sympathy
in his heart for the driver, and neither would it have changed the
malevolent expression which disfigured his face, an expression caused
by the remembrance of six cowboys who had searched for him as if he was a
cowardly, cattle-killing coyote. But the exuberant baggage-flap revealed
two trunks, three valises and a pile of white cardboard boxes; and as if
this was not enough for a man adept at sign reading, the door of the
coach suddenly became unfastened and alternately swung open and shut as
the lurching of the coach affected it. And through the intermittent
opening he could see a mass of gray and brown and blue.

The Orphan had spent ten years of h