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"How long are you goin' to hang around caered, Milt," replied Roy "Thet rider who passed you was a ot on our trail quick About ten o'clock I seen them comin' Then I lit out for the woods I stayed off in the woods close enough to see where they coh the woods, workin' off to the south, thinkin', of course, thet you would circle round to Pine on the south side of Old Baldy There ain't a hoss-tracker in Snake Anson's gang, thet's shore Wal, I follered them for an hour till they'd rustled some miles off our trail Then I went back to where you struck into the woods An' I waited there all afternoon till dark, expectin' mebbe they'd back-trail But they didn't I rode on a ways an' caood," declared Dale

"Shore There's rough country south of Baldy an' along the two or three trails Anson an' his outfit will caht of," muttered Dale, at some idea that had struck him

"What ain't?"

"Goin' round the north side of Baldy"

"It shore ain't," rejoined Roy, bluntly

"Then I've got to hide tracks certain--rustle to my cairls to Pine"

"Milt, you're talkin' the wisdom of the prophets"

"I ain't so sure we can hide tracks altogether If Anson had any eyes for the woods he'd not have lost erin' to cross your trail"

"If I could get fifteen or twenty mile farther on an' hide tracks certain, I'd feel safe from pursuit, anyway," said the hunter, reflectively

"Shore an' easy," responded Roy, quickly "I jestflock They've cooin' to fatten up at Turkey Senacas Then they'll drive back south an' go on to Phenix Wal, it's muddy weather Now you break camp quick an' make a plain trail out to thet sheep trail, as if you was travelin' south But, instead, you ride round ahead of thet flock of sheep They'll keep to the open parks an' the trails through them necks of woods out here An', passin' over your tracks, they'll hide 'em"