ved upon a venture in the same line. Of necessity he
would be governed almost entirely by guesswork, but it was his
determination to spend the day, and if possible the night, in trying to
gather some trace of his missing friend. And while it must be said that
his prospect of success was exceedingly meagre, it should be borne in
mind that he would possess one great advantage over the veteran while
similarly engaged--neither Tozer nor Motoza would fear anything from
what he did, and would give him no attention. He therefore would be left
comparatively free to do what he chose. Despite the warnings of Hank,
Jack was confident nothing was to be feared from the enmity of the two
miscreants while the negotiations were in progress. They were not the
men to destroy the hen that was expected to lay the golden egg.

For hours Hazletine and Jack lolled in this primitive camp, the cowman
smoking his pipe most of the time, while the two discussed over and over
again the various phases of the momentous business that engaged their
thoughts and to which they yearned to devote their utmost energies. The
guide longed to be off, and as the sun descended the heavens it was one
of the hardest tasks of his life to restrain his impatience, but he had
been trained in a school where patience is one of the greatest of all
the virtues. Suddenly he rose to his feet, stretched his arms and
yawned.

"I'd like to borrer that spy-glass of yours fur a few minutes."

"You are welcome," replied Jack, slipping the string over his head and
passing the instrument to him. The cowman sauntered off, taking the same
direction as before. His first wish was to learn whether he was still
under surveillance. So far as he could determine the watcher had grown
weary and withdrawn, though there could be no certainty that he was not
in the neighborhood.

Jack Dudley, without leaving camp, was able to keep an eye on the
movements of his friend. He saw him make his way to a jutting rock,
partly screened by a growth of cedar. Concealing himself as well as he
could, he raised the glass to his eyes and spent several minutes in
studying the wild country spread below him. He was looking in the
direction of the break in the canyon, beyond which, as will be
remembered, was the plateau where the ponies had been left to crop the
grass while their masters were engaged elsewhere.

[Illustration: "He was looking in the direction of the break in the
canyon."]

Jack did not att