r riding. There's a saddle horse out there for you.
We've some grub and a tent and plenty of bedding, as we may be out
several days and find some rough going."

"I judge it ain't going to be any moonlight excursion on the Hudson,
then, bringing in this Injun," observed Redmond.

Lowell motioned to the sheriff to step into the private office.

"Affairs are a little complicated," said the agent, closing the door.
"Plenty Buffalo has turned up something that makes it look as if Jim
McFann may know something about the murder."

"What's Plenty Buffalo found?"

"He discovered a track made by a broken shoe in that conglomeration of
hoof marks at the scene of the murder."

"Why didn't he say so at the time?"

"Because he wasn't sure that it pointed to Jim McFann. But he'd been
trailing McFann for bootlegging and was pretty sure Jim was riding a
horse with a broken shoe. He got hold of an Indian we can trust--an
Indian who stands pretty well with McFann--and had him hunt till he
found Jim."

"Where was he?"

"McFann was hiding away up in the big hills. What made him light out
there no one knows. That looked bad on the face of it. Then this Indian
scout of ours, when he happened in on Jim's camp, found that McFann was
riding a horse with a broken shoe."

"Looks as if we ought to bring in the half-breed, don't it?"

"Wait a minute. The broken shoe isn't all. Those pieces of rope that
were used to tie that man to the stakes--they were cut from a rawhide
lariat."

"And Jim McFann uses that kind?"

"Yes."

"Do you know where McFann is hanging out?"

"He may have moved camp, but we can find him."

The sheriff frowned. Matters were getting more complicated than he had
thought possible. From the first he had entertained only one idea
concerning the murder--that Fire Bear had done the work, or that some of
the reckless spirits under the rebellious youth had slain in a moment of
bravado.

"Well, it may be that McFann and Fire Bear's crowd had throwed in
together and was all mixed up in the killing," remarked the sheriff. "A
John Doe warrant ought to be enough to get everybody we want."

"We can get anybody that's wanted," said Lowell, "but you must remember
one thing--you're dealing with people who are not used to legal
procedure and who may resent wholesale arrests."

"You'll take plenty of Injun police along, I suppose."

"No--I'm not even going to take Plenty Buffalo. The whole police force
and all the deputi