ORN TRAILS HAWK

A bomb exploding in the smoking remnants could hardly have caused more
consternation among the man hunters than the Snipe's naming of Abe
Hawk. But however Doubleday's jaw set at the unwelcome surprise he was
not the one to swerve in the face of any personal danger, and those
with him were not men to bolt whatever adventure they embarked in.
However, it was remarked by the Snipe that those least acquainted with
Abe were least disturbed by the news of his almost certain presence in
the cabin the day and night before and his escape after the fight.

Common prudence made it necessary to cross the small divide with care
and to get word of the unpleasant discovery as soon as possible to Van
Horn in order that he and his companions might not be picked off by the
wounded man from ambush. The Snipe was assigned to Hawk's trail and
two men were sent to the wings to scout for him among the rocks.
Bradley rode to warn Van Horn; but the old man did not sweat his horse
in the effort.

The trackers soon made it plain to those behind that the escaping man
had ridden a pretty straight course himself, and had picked his way in
the night like one thoroughly at home in the hills of the Turkey. And
though losing the trail at times, the Snipe had no serious trouble in
picking it again from the grass or the rocks.

The country lying north of the forks of the Turkey is rougher than to
the south and pretty well covered with pine. On the Northern slope,
Hawk's trail led down a long and winding break mile after mile and in
the end pointed straight for his shack on the creek.

Moving as nearly as possible in the order in which they had started,
the party emerged from the hills half a mile from the creek, and not
much farther from Hawk's, when they encountered Bradley and Van Horn
with one of his men. Doubleday hoarsely asked for the news.

Van Horn rode up close before he answered, and, though his tone was
confident, his manner showed his annoyance at the way things had
turned: "Robinson's shack was empty," he said. "Whether he got wind of
yesterday I don't know; anyway, he's skipped--there's nothing left on
his place."

"What's there to this talk of Barney's about Abe Hawk?" demanded
Doubleday.

"From what Bradley says, it looks as if he might be right," said Van
Horn. "The horse Hawk took is eating grass in front of his cabin; we
saw him when we got here and waited for Hawk to show himself."

"He didn't do it,