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Venters penetrated into one of these offshoots, and, as he had hoped, he found abundant grass He had to bend the oak saplings to get his horse through Deciding to -place if he could find water, he worked back to the li walls In a little cluster of silver spruces he found a spring

This inclosed nook seeht, and frorass hid his trail; the dense growth of oaks in the opening would serve as a barrier to keep Wrangle in, if, indeed, the luxuriant broould not suffice for that So Venters, leaving Whitie with the horse, called Ring to his side, and, rifle in hand, worked his way out to the open A careful photographing in mind of the formation of the bold outlines of rimrock assured him he would be able to return to his retreat even in the dark

Bunches of scattered sage covered the center of the canyon, and a these Venters threaded his ith the step of an Indian

At intervals he put his hand on the dog and stopped to listen

There was a drowsy hum of insects, but no other sound disturbed the warm midday stillness Venters saw ahead a turn, more abrupt than any yet Warily he rounded this corner, once again to halt bewildered

The canyon opened fan-shaped into a great oval of green and gray growths It was the hub of an oblong wheel, and fro canyons Here a dull red color predo yellow The corners of wall bluntly rose, scarred and scrawled, to taper into towers and serrated peaks and pinnacled domes

Venters pushed on more heedfully than ever Toward the center of this circle the sage-brush grew sht, where thickets and juht upon a broad cattle trail Like a road it was, more than a trail, and the cattle tracks were fresh What surprised him more, they et! He pondered over this feature It had not rained The only solution to this puzzle was that the cattle had been driven through water, and water deep enough to wet their legs

Suddenly Ring growled low Venters rose cautiously and looked over the sage A band of straggling horse across the oval He sank down, startled and trelanced about for a place to hide Near at hand there was nothing but sage-brush He dared not risk crossing the open patches to reach the rocks Again he peeped over the sage The rustlers--four--five--seven--eight in all, were approaching, but not directly in line with him That was relief for a cold deadness which see his veins He crouched doith bated breath and held the bristling dog