. Before he reached the building he saw that the stable door
was open. He went within. His favourite English hunter, Regent, was
not there. Its stall was empty.

"Stolen!" he exclaimed. "Rube--Isa, d'ye see? Regent's been stolen!"

"Then we'll sure catch him, whoever he is," said Rube. "He won't ride
many miles without Regent bein' seen an' recognized by somebody that
knows that hoss is yours."

"Any suspicion who it is?" asked the sheriff.

"What's your own idea, Isa?" Kiddie inquired.

"Well," returned Isa, "seems ter me thar was more'n one of 'em at this
yer job. I'm tryin' t' identify th' owner of them boots. I've got a
notion; but I ain't goin' ter jump at no rash conclusions this time.
Come an' have a look at that broken winder."

Rube had gone back to the footprints, and was intently examining them
when Kiddie went up to him.

"Well," queried Kiddie, always interested in Rube's investigations,
whatever they happened to be.

"This is where he mounted," said Rube. "Here's where he stood when he
was fastening the cinch of the saddle. Nick ain't such a clever
criminal as I thought. I wonder at him leavin' his bootprints
scattered about like this. Why didn't he mount from the grass?"

"He was certainly careless," agreed Kiddie. "Looks as if he'd been in
a precious hurry to get away with the boodle. You're sure, I suppose,
that it was Nick Undrell who wore boots like those that made these
marks?"

"What makes me certain," said Rube, "is the missin' nail. I noticed it
that day when we were bringin' along your outfit from Laramie. You've
got to remember, too, that Nick's bin seen prowlin' around on your
property here."

"Go ahead, then, Rube," urged Kiddie. "Follow up your clues, and don't
waste time."

Kiddie himself did not appear to take much active interest in tracking
the criminal. He knew that a large quantity of his most valuable
possessions had been stolen, but he still considered the killing of his
dog the most serious injury that had been done to him, and while Isa
and Rube made their way towards the cabin, he again went back to where
Sheila lay dead.

When he rejoined his two companions they were still searching for
tracks outside the cabin.

"Thar wasn't more'n one of 'em at it," Rube told him. "If there'd bin
a second, he'd sure have left some sort of clue; but we've found only
the one set of bootprints."

"Have you looked near the window?" Kiddie asked.

"Not yet; I