had blurred glimpses of the object ahead, now growing more distinct. He
could also, when the wind allowed it, hear the dull beat of hoofs. How
long it took him to overtake it he could never remember; but at last the
sleigh was very close to him, and he shouted. There was no answer; but
Allonby, who could scarcely hear his own voice, did not consider this
astonishing, and tried again. Still no answer came back, and, coming up
with the sleigh at every stride, he dragged the butt of his sling rifle
round and fumbled at the strap with a numbed and almost useless hand.

He could see the back of the sleigh, but nothing else, and lurching
perilously in the saddle he got the rifle in his hand; but, cold and
stiffened as he was, he dared not loose his grasp on the bridle, and so,
with the butt at his hip, he raced up level with the sleigh. Then, the
horse, perhaps edged off the beaten trail into the snow outside it,
blundered in its stride, and the rifle, that fell as the lad swayed, was
left behind. He had both hands on the bridle the next moment, and leaning
down sideways fancied there was nobody in the sleigh. It took him a second
or two to make quite sure of it, and at least a minute more before he
brought the horse to a standstill in the trail. By that time the sleigh
had swept on into the sliding whiteness. Wheeling his horse, Clavering
rode out of the snow and pulled up in evident astonishment.

"Have you let him get away?" he gasped.

"He wasn't there," said Allonby.

"Not there! I saw him and another man when they drove past us in the
bluff."

"Well," said Allonby, "I'm quite certain there's nobody in that sleigh
now."

The wind that roared about them cut short the colloquy, and a minute or
two later Allonby became sensible that Clavering was speaking again.

"Larry and the other man must have dropped into the soft snow when the
team slowed up on the up grade, knowing the horses would go on until they
reached their stable," he said. "Well, they'll be away through the bluff
now, and a brigade of cavalry would scarcely find them on such a night. In
fact, we will have to trust the beasts to take us home."

Just then the Sheriff, with one or two cow-boys, rode up, and Allonby, who
did not like the man, laughed as he signed him to stop.

"You can go back and get your driving horses in. We have been chasing a
sleigh with no one in it," he said. "Larry has beaten us again!"

XIX

TORRANCE ASKS A QUESTION