and the Native Son had been the last to speak with her, so far as anyone
knew. That was it--so far as anyone knew. Andy's lips tightened. There
were many strangers riding through the country, and where there are many
strangers there is also a certain element of danger. That Miss Allen was
lost was not the greatest fear that drove Andy Green forth without sleep
and with food enough to last him a day or two.

First he meant to hunt up Pink and Miguel--which was easy enough, since
they rode into camp exhausted and disheartened while he was saddling
a fresh horse. From them he learned the direction which Miss Allen had
taken when she left them, and he rode that way and never stopped until
he had gone down off the benchland and had left the fringe of coulees
and canyons behind. Pink and the Native Son had just come from down in
here, and they had seen no sign of either her or the Kid. Andy intended
to begin where they had left off, and comb the breaks as carefully as
it is possible for one man to do. He was beginning to think that the
Badlands held the secret of the Kid disappearance, even though they had
seen nothing of him when they came out four days ago. Had he seen Chip
he would have urged him to send all the searchers--and there were two
or three hundred by now--into the Badlands and keep them there until the
Kid was found. But he did not see Chip and had no time to hunt him up.
And having managed to evade the supervision of any captain, and to keep
clear of all parties, he meant to go alone and see if he could find a
clue, at least.

It was down in the long canyon which Miss Allen had followed, that Andy
found hoof-prints which he recognized. The horse Miss Allen had ridden
whenever he saw her--one which she had bought somewhere north
of town--had one front foot which turned in toward the other.
"Pigeon-toed," he would have called it. The track it left in soft soil
was unmistakable. Andy's face brightened when he saw it and knew that he
was on her trail. The rest of the way down the canyon he rode alertly,
for though he knew she might be miles from there by now, to find the
route she had taken into the Badlands was something gained.

The flat, which Andy knew very well--having driven the bunch of cattle
whose footprints had so elated Miss Allen--he crossed uneasily. There
were so many outlets to this rich little valley. He tried several of
them, which took time; and always when he came to soft earth and saw no
tra