rad Charlton had seen her last.
He had met her just above the Laguna Sinks, had talked with her, and
had left the young woman headed toward the mountains.

The word had reached Battle Butte through Slim Sanders, who had been
sent down from Huerfano Park for help. The Rutherfords and their
friends were already combing the hills for the lost girl, but the owner
of the horse ranch wanted Sheriff Sweeney to send out posses as a
border patrol. Opinion was divided. Some thought Beulah might have
met a grizzly, been unhorsed, and fallen a victim to it. There was the
possibility that she might have stumbled while climbing and hurt
herself. According to Sanders, her father held to another view. He
was convinced that Meldrum was at the bottom of the thing.

This was Roy's instant thought, too. He could not escape the sinister
suggestion that through the girl the ruffian had punished them all.
While he gave sharp, short orders to get together the riders of the
ranch, his mind was busy with the situation. Had he better join
Sweeney's posse and patrol the desert? Or would he help more by
pushing straight into the hills?

Dingwell rode up and looked around in surprise. "What's the stir, son?"

His partner told him what he had heard and what he suspected.

Before he answered, Dave chewed a meditative cud. "Maybeso you're
right--and maybe 'way off. Say you're wrong. Say Meldrum has nothing
to do with this. In that case it is in the hills that we have got to
find Miss Beulah."

"But he has. I feel sure he has. Mr. Ryan says Rutherford thinks so,
too."

"Both you and Hal have got that crook Meldrum in yore minds. You've
been thinking a lot about him, so you jump to the conclusion that what
you're afraid of has happened. The chances are ten to one against it.
But we'll say you're right. Put yourself in Meldrum's place. What
would he do?"

Beaudry turned a gray, agonized face on his friend. "I don't know.
What--what would he do?"

"The way to get at it is to figure yourself in his boots. Remember
that you're a bad, rotten lot, cur to the bone. You meet up with this
girl and get her in yore power. You've got a grudge against her
because she spoiled yore plans, and because through her you were handed
the whaling of yore life and are being hounded out of the country.
You're sore clear through at all her people and at all her friends.
Naturally, you're as sweet-tempered as a sore-headed bear, and you've
prob