he sounds made by their moving feet, so that they might
have passed within half a dozen rods of a camp without a man in it
dreaming that a little company of men and horses were passing, unless he
chanced to see them. Then the trail again entered the defiles of the
mountains, where the going was rough and difficult and sometimes
dangerous, on account of their not being able to see clearly in the dim
light of the moon; but Mr. Conroyal kept pressing steadily and silently
onward, and as steadily and as silently all the others followed.

There was no talking, even after they had passed the danger zone. No one
seemed to care to talk. There was something in the mystery of the night
and the wilderness, in the white light of the moon falling on tree and
rock and mountain and valley, in the silence of the vast surrounding
forests and mighty piles of towering rocks that stilled the tongue.

For a couple of hours they journeyed steadily and silently on through
the moonlit wilderness; and then Mr. Conroyal came to a halt in a narrow
little valley.

"I reckon we've thrown the scoundrels off the trail by now, if we are
going to to-night," he said; "and so we might as well go into camp again
and rest up until sunrise; and as this looks like a good place we will
go into camp right there under those trees," and he pointed toward a
little grove of evergreen oaks that grew a few rods away.

All were tired and all were sleepy; and, consequently, all welcomed the
decision to go into camp, and acted on it so promptly that, in fifteen
minutes, all, except the guard, were rolled up in their blankets and
soon were sound asleep.

CHAPTER XXII

THE MYSTERY OF THE TENT

"I reckon we otter make Humbug Canyon afore dark tew-night," Ham
declared, as our friends, notwithstanding the break in their rest of the
night before, moved out of the little valley, where they had camped, as
soon as it became light enough to see the trail the next morning.

"Yes," assented Mr. Conroyal, "but we will have to keep going to do it.
Do you suppose we fooled Ugger and his gang and threw them off our trail
last night?" and he turned a little anxiously to Ham and Frank Holt, who
were walking by his side.

"If they didn't have no one on watch, I reckon we did," answered Ham;
"but it's more'n likely they're cunnin' enough tew be on th' lookout for
jest such tricks an' that they know right now where we be. They know it
wouldn't dew for them tew lose track