ed
along the table.

Rube Carter took hold of it and began to clear the stale tobacco out of
the bowl with the point of his pocket knife.

Kiddie watched Abe Harum striking a match. It was a safety, with a
brown head.

"What sort of lucifers are yours, Isa?" Kiddie inquired.

Isa Blagg handed him his box, which was partly open, showing about a
dozen matches with pink heads.

"Ah," Kiddie nodded. "Where'd you get 'em?"

"Bought 'em in Brierley's saloon in Laramie," said Isa. "Why?"

"Nothing," replied Kiddie, "only they're the same sort as a broken one
I found in the canoe. Chap as left that pipe must have tried to light
it in a high wind. There was quite half a dozen dead lucifers lyin'
around."

"An' it don't appear as he lighted his pipe after all," added Rube
Carter. "It's as dry as a bone, just as if it hadn't been smoked for
months and months."

Abe Harum leant over and took a pinch of the tobacco ashes, smelling it.

"Thick twist," he said, "strong enough to pull your head off."

Kiddie had taken three dead matches from his pocket and laid them on
the edge of the table in front of Rube.

"See anythin' peculiar 'bout those lucifers, Rube?" he asked.

"Guess I see the same as you do, Kiddie," was Rube's reply. "They're
dirty, an' the charcoal's wore off their tips. Looks as if they'd been
carried in some chap's pocket."

Kiddie stood up.

"Now let's get along t' the cabin," he said. "Will you come, Sheriff?"

Isa and Rube both accompanied him. They went down to Grizzly Notch,
where the still loaded canoe had been left overnight. While Rube was
loosening the painter, Kiddie went aside to the spare canoe, and
searched about on the bank. Presently he stood still, and called Rube
to his side.

"Take stock of that footprint," he began, pointing to the moist ground.
"Horseshoe heel, a toecap, an' two rows of hob-nails; one nail missin'.
D'ye know anythin'?"

Rube shook his head.

"None of our men wears boots like that," he declared. "But I've a idea
I've seen the same impression before--somewhere. Lemme think."

Later, when the three of them were landing at the little pier, close to
Kiddie's cabin, Rube said quietly--

"I remember now, Kiddie, 'bout that footprint--or the boot that made
it. Nick Undrell wears boots nailed an' clamped like that. An' didn't
Abe tell us as Nick had bin seen prowlin' round here? Guess it was
Nick's pipe you found in the canoe. What you whistlin' f