me a box of forty-fives," he called.
Then to Harkey, in a guarded voice: "Pete, this looks fishy as hell!
Those ashes were warm, they said. Look what time it is now--half past
four. The way they were riding, this bunch made it from Redgate in
half an hour. We met this stranger near two hours ago. That don't hold
together. If the stranger man built that fire, the ashes would have
been cold when Caney's bunch found them. And they say there are no
other tracks. Wrong--all wrong!"

"And all the rest of it. Son, I didn't miss a bet. Neither did Charlie
See. He looked hard at me. Save your breath. Say nothing and see
everything. You do your part and I'll do mine. I'll know more before
dark if it don't rain and rub out the tracks. Our Father which is in
Garfield hates a lie, and he's fixed up this here solar system so
there is no safe place in it for a lie. Sh-h! Here comes Caney!" He
raised his voice. "What the devil do you need of more men? Five to
one--what more do you want?"

"Well, but we may lose track of him and want to spread out to look and
ask, while some of us go on--"

"Where can I find drinking water?" asked Caney.

"Back there," said Pete, pointing. Then, to Hobby: "Well, pick up
someone in Arrey, then, or on the way. I want the men round here to go
with me and look round before it gets dark. Say, Sam--you send someone
up with a wagon to bring Adam back, will you? I'm off--me and Jerome.
Tell Jones and Barefoot to come right on. Take care of my team for
me."

He went out on the platform. Lull and Caney followed.

"Well, so long, you fellows," said Pete. "Send word back if you find
your man. Because there's going to be a lot of irritated strangers
when we start to picking them up."

"We had some plunder--grub and a blanket apiece tied behind our
saddles, and we dumped it, to ride light, where we found Adam--just
kept our slickers," said Caney. "Have 'em bring 'em in, will you,
Harkey?"

"Sure," said Pete.

IX

"This to the crowd--speak bitter, proud and high,
But simply to your friend--she loves you not!"
--_Le Bret--who scolds._

The five pursuers rode swiftly, with inquiry at several farms about
the man on the blue horse. Some had seen him; some had not. He had
been riding slowly and he had kept the main road to Greenhorn. They
took the Greenhorn Island ford and found good swimming. The quarry had
passed through Donahue's an hour and a half befor