ss than the Roentgen ray would have revealed the young
man, who was stealthily watching the ferocious buck. The latter must
have decided that the coast was clear, for with another bound he landed
upon a rock quite a way from the opening of the canyon, and a second
leap placed him on the shore where three of his race had been standing
when discovered by Jack and Fred.

Motoza did not linger, but moved with a very rapid stride across the
open space, where he was in full view of anyone in the vicinity.

"If I were sure you had done any harm to Fred," muttered Jack, never
removing his eyes from the repellant countenance, "I believe I could
treat you as we did the grizzly bear without a sting of conscience. The
idea of your harming a hair of the head of Fred Greenwood, who showed
you tenfold more mercy than you deserved--my gracious! he must have seen
me."

This involuntary exclamation was caused by the fact that the Sioux was
following a bee-line for the spot where Jack lay. Believing a meeting
inevitable, the youth placed his hand on his revolver, the preferable
weapon in the event of coming to close quarters.

But at the last moment Motoza turned to the left and passed among the
rocks within a couple of paces of the youth, who held his breath until
he was gone.

For some reasons Jack Dudley would have welcomed a meeting with this
miscreant, for he held him in no fear. For one moment he meditated
"holding him up," with the threat of death unless he produced Fred
Greenwood; but fortunately the youth had time in which to see the wild
absurdity of the thing, which could have done no possible good and
probably would have brought great harm. So it was that Motoza passed out
of sight and the youth was once more left alone.

But Jack's thoughts had taken a new turn. Hazletine had expressed the
belief that in the interval between the first and second meeting with
Tozer either he or Motoza would hold communication with their prisoner;
consequently, if the Sioux could be kept under surveillance without
exciting his suspicion, he was likely to give some involuntary and
useful information.

"I wonder where Hank is; can it be that he, too, is watching in the
neighborhood and has seen Motoza come out as I saw him? If so, the next
fellow to pass in review before me will be my esteemed friend."

When, however, a half-hour had gone by without anything being seen of
the cowman, Jack was warranted in believing that he was the only o