as the hotel was named. At one spot--where a double row of cottonwoods
lined the road--a fence had been knocked down and many feet had trampled
the sandy pasture within. Steve picked up a torn piece of cloth about
six inches by twelve in dimension. It had evidently been a part of a
coat sleeve. He recognized the pattern as that of the suit his friend
had been wearing.

"A part of his coat all right," he said. "They must have bushwhacked him
here. By the foot-prints there were a good many of them."

"I'm glad there were."

"Why?"

"For two reasons," the girl explained. "In the first place, if they had
wanted to kill him, one or two would have been enough. They wouldn't
take any more than was necessary into their confidence."

"That's right. Your head's level there."

"And, in the second place, two men can keep a secret, but six or eight
can't. Some one of them is bound to talk to his sweetheart or wife or
friend."

"True enough. That five hundred dollars might get one of 'em, too."

"Somehow I believe he is alive. His enemies have taken him away
somewhere--probably up into the hills."

"But why?"

"You ought to know that better than I do. What could they gain by it?"

He scratched his gray head. "Search me. They couldn't aim to hold him
till after the trial. That would be a kid's play."

"Couldn't they get him to sign some paper--something saying that he
would give up his claim--or that he would sell out cheap?"

"No, they couldn't," the old man answered grimly. "But they might think
they could. I expect that's the play. Dick never in the world would come
through, though. He's game, that boy is. The point is, what will they do
when they find he stands the acid?"

Miss Underwood looked quickly at him, then looked quickly away. She knew
what they would do. So did Davis.

"No, that's not the point. We must find him--just as soon as we can.
Stir this whole town up and rake it with a fine-tooth comb. See if any
of Miss Valdes' peons are in town. If they are have them shadowed."

They separated presently, she to go to the State House, he to return to
the El Tovar. There he found the telegram from Miss Valdes awaiting him.
Immediately he dictated an answer.

Before nightfall a second supply of posters decorated walls and
billboards. The reward was raised to one thousand dollars for
information that would lead to the finding of Richard Gordon alive and
the same sum for evidence sufficient to convict his mu