ended but knowing
both Wade and Moran as he did, Trowbridge realized that in order to be
of any assistance, he must be on the spot without delay. He had planned
rapidly and he now acted rapidly.

One of his men was stationed at the big pine, as he had told Dorothy,
but all the others in his employ rode with him as swiftly as the best
horses on his ranch could carry them, to the spot Santry had told him
of. There they found unmistakable traces of half a dozen or more horses,
besides the footprints of Wade's mount, and a brief examination was
enough to show which way the party had gone. Undoubtedly they had taken
Wade with them, so the pursuing party followed.

It was one thing to follow, however, and another thing to overtake.
Moran was better versed in the intricacies of big cities than in those
of the wilderness, but he was shrewd enough to realize that Wade's
friends would start an instant search, as soon as they should miss the
ranchman, and it was no part of his plans to be taken by surprise.

Therefore, as soon as he had had his victim thrown into the prison from
which escape seemed impossible, Moran selected a camp site nearby, from
which he had a view of the surrounding country for miles around in every
direction, and scanning the horizon carefully after his vain attempt to
intimidate Wade, he saw Trowbridge's party approaching, while they were
still half a dozen miles away.

His first thought was to stay where he was and give battle. In this he
would have had a good chance of victory, for, by opening fire on
Trowbridge and his followers as they came up, he could undoubtedly have
picked off three or four of them before they reached him, and so secured
odds in his own favor, if it should come to an immediate encounter.

Second thought, however, showed him the folly of such a course. There
was too much remaining for him to do, and the temporary advantage he
might gain would not compensate him for the havoc it would make in his
ultimate designs. He therefore called Goat Neale aside and said:
"There's a party of Wade's friends coming up from the East, looking for
him, and I've got to lead them away. You stay here, but keep in hiding
and take care that nobody learns where Wade is. He'll live for a few
days without grub and I'll come back and tend to his case after I've got
this party going round in circles.

"You stay, and the rest of us will all ride off to the north, and
they'll think we have Wade with us, so