For all his bulk he
melted through the tangle as soundlessly as a spirit.

"Bears is learnin' manners nowadays," the sheriff commented. "Course,
these here black ones never was much different from pigs. But take
grizzlies. When I come West with my old people, a little shaver just
able to set a pony, they was plumb sassy. I never did see such
biggotty-actin' critters. Britch-loaders hadn't been in so durn long,
and men didn't go huntin' grizzlies with the little old pea rifle just
for fun. They was range bosses, and they knowed it. Now it's only once
in a while you'll find one that wants all the trail."

In the afternoon they came to an abandoned cabin, and dismounted to
investigate. Casey shook his head at the filthy litter. "Nobody's been
here," said he.

The sheriff peered narrowly about. "No?" he said. "Well, how about
that?" He pointed to the ground. "Moccasin track, or part of one. Who
wears moccasins?"

"McCrae does, most of the time."

"Then he's been here. He couldn't pass without lookin' in."

"Why not?"

"Because four men out of five can't go by an old shack without takin' a
peep inside. I can't, myself. I judge you can't, either. Do you
remember ever doin' it?"

"Why, no," Casey admitted, "now you speak of it, I don't. And I do
remember rubbering into dozens of old wikiups one place and another."

"Sure," said the sheriff. "Human nature again. Anything that's made by
a man and left behind will draw another man like molasses will a fly. I
never knew a man yet that wouldn't nose around an old camping spot. Not
that he expects to find anything, or wants to. He just can't help it.
McCrae didn't stop here. Where did he go? We might as well look around
a little."

In the process of looking around, they came on an abandoned camp. By
the quantity of ashes a number of fires had been burned. There were the
poles of a lean-to and a bough bed beneath it, and at a little distance
were other beds of boughs. The ground was trampled, and the grass
beaten down in the vicinity.

The sheriff nosed among the signs, lifting the boughs of the beds,
trying the ashes with his finger for heat, making an examination of the
ground, and wandering off in a circle around the camp, where horses had
been picketed. Finally he came back to the fireplace, filled his pipe,
and lay down. Casey, meanwhile, had been forming his own conclusions.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well," said the sheriff, "I reckon you been usin' your eyes, too.