reasons.

Thus a web of mystery and suspicion was cleverly woven about
Rathburn's movements.

It was not until afternoon, however, that Rathburn began to realize on
his intimacy with the barn man. Then they began to talk of trails, and
for more than an hour the barn man, caught in the spell of Rathburn's
personality, divulged the secret of the trails leading to and from the
Dixie Queen.

"The best trail, an' the straightest, if you should ever want to go up
there an' look at the mine like you say," said the barn man, "hits
into the timber behind the first cabin to the left above town."

Rathburn nodded smilingly. It was the cabin where he had first seen
the girl.

"It's 'bout twenty-nine miles to the mine by the road," the man
explained; "but that trail will take you there in less'n twenty. Well,
maybe twenty or twenty-one. Or you can go up the road till you get to
the big hogback--that's where they held up the truck driver
yesterday--and cut straight up the hill from the south end."

"I guess those are the best trails from what you say," was Rathburn's
yawning comment.

"Them's the best," the other added. "There's another trail going out
below town that follows southeast along a big ridge, but that trail's
as far as the road. When you goin' up?"

"I dunno," replied Rathburn noncommittally. "Say, I guess I know where
that cabin is on the left side of the road going up. I stopped at a
cabin up there coming down an' asked a gal how far it was to
town----"

"That's it," said the barn man. "That's the one. Trail starts right
back of that cabin."

Rathburn yawned again. "Smart-lookin' gal," he observed, digging for
his tobacco and papers. "Who is she?"

"That's Joe Carlisle's sister. Anyway, he says she is. There's been
some talk. Carlisle lives there when he ain't out in the hills or on a
gamblin' trip to some other town."

"I see. Well, old-timer, I ain't hung on the feed bag since morning,
an' I'm going on a still hunt for some grub."

Rathburn went to the Red Feather for his dinner. He was thoughtful
through the meal and kept an eye out for Carlisle, but didn't see him.
During the remainder of the afternoon he hung about the Red Feather
and other resorts, but did not see Carlisle.

That evening, as he was returning to the hotel, he met Mannix. The
deputy looked at him with a scowl in which there was a mixture of
curiosity. Rathburn suddenly remembered what Sautee had said about his
company being on th