nd that
out two days afterwards. I found out that out of the whole afternoon she
spent less than an hour with the Burnhams. I found out that she bought
a duster like the disguise the two men saw her in. I found the yellow
dress she wore that day hanging up in Low's cabin--the place where I saw
her go--THE RENDEZVOUS WHERE SHE MEETS HIM. Oh, you're listenin', are
you? Stop! SIT DOWN!

"I discovered it by accident," continued the voice of Brace when all was
again quiet; "it was hidden as only a squirrel or an Injin can hide when
they improve upon nature. When I was satisfied that the girl had been
in the woods, I was determined to find out where she vanished, and went
there again. Prospecting around, I picked up at the foot of one of the
biggest trees this yer old memorandum-book, with grasses and herbs stuck
in it. I remembered that I'd heard old Wynn say that Low, like the d--d
Digger that he was, collected these herbs; only he pretended it was for
science. I reckoned the book was his and that he mightn't be far away. I
lay low and waited. Bimeby I saw a lizard running down the root. When he
got sight of me he stopped."

"D--n the lizard! What's that got to do with where she is now?"

"Everything. That lizard had a piece of sugar in his mouth. Where did it
come from? I made him drop it, and calculated he'd go back for more. He
did. He scooted up that tree and slipped in under some hanging strips of
bark. I shoved 'em aside, and found an opening to the hollow where they
do their housekeeping."

"But you didn't see her there--and how do you know she is there now?"

"I determined to make it sure. When she left to-day, I started an hour
ahead of her, and hid myself at the edge of the woods. An hour after the
coach arrived at Indian Spring, she came there in a brown duster and was
joined by him. I'd have followed them, but the d--d hound has the ears
of a squirrel, and though I was five hundred yards from him he was on
his guard."

"Guard be blessed! Wasn't you armed? Why didn't you go for him?" said
Dunn, furiously.

"I reckoned I'd leave that for you," said Brace coolly. "If he'd killed
me, and if he'd even covered me with his rifle, he'd been sure to let
daylight through me at double the distance. I shouldn't have been any
better off, nor you either. If I'd killed HIM, it would have been your
duty as sheriff to put me in jail; and I reckon it wouldn't have broken
your heart, Jim Dunn, to have got rid of TWO rivals