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"Aw shucks! I let ue Of course she's safe enough; only the darn devil's got to be caught before he gets to Mexico and makes some padre marry 'eet an Indian to help trail," said Jack

"You'll have a sweet ti an Injun to trail Kut-le!" said Porter "The Injuns half worship hi et one and he'll keep you off the trail instead of on I can follow the trail as soon as he quits covering it Get the canteens and co round pro an Injun It's experience and patience It et him in the end Crook always did"

There was that in Billy Porter's voice which put heart into his listeners John DeWitt lifted his head, and while his blue eyes returned the gaze of the others edly

"I'm ready," he said briefly

"Oh, let !"

Billy smiled

"Why, Mrs Jack, you'd be dried up and bloay before the first day was over"

"But Rhoda is enduring it!" protested Katherine, with quivering lips

"God!" John DeWitthimself from the house to the corral The other two followed him at once

It wasyellow haze of the desert followed by a little string of pack horses It was now nearing twenty-four hours since Rhoda had disappeared and in that ti This meant that the trail could be easily folloere it found TheAll wore blue flannel shirts and khaki trousers John DeWitt rode Eastern park fashion, with short stirrup, rising from the saddle with the trot Jack and Billy rode Western fashion, long stirrup, an inseparable part of their horses, a fashion that John DeWitt was to be forced to learn in the fearful days to come

Billy Porter declaimed in a loud voice from the head of the procession

"Of course, Kut-le has taken to the mountains He'll steer clear of ranches and cowboys for a while Our chance lies in his giving up covering his trail after he gets well into the ranges We will get his trail and hang on till we can outwit hi accident But he will be a lot hampered by Miss Rhoda and I trust to her to haets her hand in"