en as far away as you thought."

"I was far enough," grumbled Ashton. "I've walked till I'm hungry as a
shark."

"Do you realize that you want to be careful how you shoot with these
high-power rifles?" asked Blake. "They carry a mile or more."

"I've carried mine more than that, and _it_ won't carry an inch,"
complained Ashton. "Wish you would see if you can fix it, while I get
on some bacon."

Blake took his scrutinizing gaze from his companion's face, and picked
up the rifle. Ashton showed plainly that he was tired and hungry and
very irritable, but there was no trace of guilt in his look or manner.
While he hurriedly prepared supper, Blake took apart the mechanism of
the rifle. He discovered the trouble at once.

"This is easy," he said. "Nothing broken--just a screw loose. Have you
been monkeying with the parts, to see how they work?"

"No; I don't care a hang how they work. What gets me is that they
didn't work!"

"Queer, then, how this screw got loose," said Blake as he tightened it
with the blade of his pocket knife. "It sets tight enough. Of course
it might have come from the factory a bit loose, and jarred out with
the firing; but neither seems probable."

"Is it all right now?" queried Ashton.

"Yes.--Seems to me someone _must_ have loosened this screw."

"What's the difference how it happened, if it will not happen again?"
irritably replied Ashton. "Guess this bacon is fried enough. Let's
eat."

Blake recoupled the rifle, emptied the magazine, tested the mechanism,
refilled the magazine, and joined his ravenous companion in his
ill-cooked meal.

Immediately after eating, Ashton flung himself down in the tent. A few
minutes later Blake crept in beside him and struck a match. The young
man had already fallen into the deep slumber of utter physical and
mental relaxation. Blake went outside and listened to the wailing of
the coyotes. Difficult as it was to determine the direction of their
mournful cries, he at last satisfied himself that they were circling
entirely around the camp.

A watchdog could not have indicated with greater certainty that there
was no other wild beast or any human being lurking near the waterhole.
Blake crept back into the tent and was soon fast asleep beside his
companion.

CHAPTER XVIII

ON THE BRINK

Early to bed, early to rise. The two men were up at dawn. During the
night the coyotes had sneaked into the camp. But Blake had fastened
the food in the chuck