ight! And you can bet she wrote the
letter! Sure she did! She wanted to get her away when that guy came
back. He was back yesterday. I saw him over by the run on that trail
that crosses the trail to the old cabin. He didn't see me. I got my eye
on him first, and I chucked behind some sage-brush, but he was here, all
right, and he didn't mean any good. I follahed him awhile till he
stopped and fixed up a place to camp. I guess he must 'a' stayed out
last night--"

A heavy hand was suddenly laid from behind on Bud's shoulder, and Rogers
stood over him, his dark eyes on fire, his lips trembling.

"Boy, can you show me where that was?" he asked, and there was an
intensity in his voice that showed Bud that something serious was the
matter. Boylike he dropped his eyes indifferently before this great
emotion.

"Sure!"

"Best take Long Bill with you, Mr. Rogers," advised Jasper Kemp, keenly
alive to the whole situation. "I reckon we'll all have to work together.
My men ain't far off," and he lifted his whistle to his lips and blew
the signal blasts. "The Kid here 'll want to ride to Keams to see if the
lady is all safe and has met her friends. I reckon mebbe I better go
straight to Ganado and find out if them mission folks really got
started, and put 'em wise to what's been going on. They'll mebbe know
who them Injuns was. I have my suspicions they weren't any friendlies.
I didn't like that Injun the minute I set eyes on him hanging round the
school-house, but I wouldn't have stirred a step toward camp if I'd 'a'
suspected he was come fur the lady. 'Spose you take Bud and Long Bill
and go find that camping-place and see if you find any trail showing
which way they took. If you do, you fire three shots, and the men 'll be
with you. If you want the Kid, fire four shots. He can't be so fur away
by that time that he can't hear. He's got to get provisioned 'fore he
starts. Lead him out, Bud. We 'ain't got no time to lose."

Bud gave one despairing look at Gardley and turned to obey.

"That's all right, Bud," said Gardley, with an understanding glance.
"You tell Mr. Rogers all you know and show him the place, and then when
Long Bill comes you can take the cross-cut to the Long Trail and go with
me. I'll just stop at the house as I go by and tell your mother I need
you."

Bud gave one radiant, grateful look and sprang upon his horse, and
Rogers had hard work to keep up with him at first, till Bud got
interested in giving him