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He heard the click of iron-shod hoofs on stone, the coarse laughter ofinto a canyon Their horses were tired, and they had several pack animals; evidently they had traveled far Venters doubted that they were the rustlers who had driven the red herd Olding's band had split Venters watched these horsemen disappear under a bold canyon wall
The rustlers had come froaze in that direction, hoping, if there were more, to see from what canyon they rode A quarter of an hour went by Reward for his vigilance came when he descried three more mounted men, far over to the north But out of what canyon they had ridden it was too late to tell He watched the three ride across the oval and round the jutting red corner where the others had gone
"Up that canyon!" exclai's den! I've found it!"
A knotty point for Venters was the fact that the cattle tracks all pointed west The broad trail came from the direction of the canyon into which the rustlers had ridden, and undoubtedly the cattle had been driven out of it across the oval There were no tracks pointing the other way It had been in hishad driven the red herd toward the rendezvous, and not from it Where did that broad trail come down into the pass, and where did it lead? Venters kneasted ti the question, but it held a fascination not easily dispelled For 's mysterious entrance and exit to Deception Pass had been all-absorbing topics to sage-riders
All at once the dog put an end to Venters's pondering Ring sniffed the air, turned slowly in his tracks with a whine, and then growled Venters wheeled Two horseht at hi's Masked Rider
Venters cunningly sank, slowly trying to uarded as his action was, the first horse detected it He stopped short, snorted, and shot up his ears The rustler bent forward, as if keenly peering ahead Then, with a swift sweep, he jerked a gun froe-brush Flying bits of wood struck Venters, and the hot, stinging pain seemed to lift hileamed level and he shot once--twice
The foremost rustler dropped his weapon and toppled fro in a stirrup The horse snorted wildly and plunged away, dragging the rustler through the sage