nching party right in the
outfit and hang Al as an example than they would try to shield him. He's
played a lone hand, Swan, right from the start, unless I'm badly
mistaken. The Sawtooth's paid him for playing it, that's all."

"Warfield, he's the man I want," Swan confided. "It's for more than
killing these men. It goes into politics, Loney, and it goes deep. He's
bad for the government. Getting Warfield for having men killed is
getting Warfield without telling secrets of politics. Warfield, he's a
smart man, by golly. He knows some one is after him in politics, but he
don't know some one is after him at home. So the big Swede has got to be
smart enough to get the evidence against him for killing."

"Well, I wish yuh luck, Swan, but I can't say you're going at it right.
Al won't talk, I tell yuh."

Swan did not believe that. He waited another hour and made a mental
inventory of everything in camp while he waited. Then, chiefly because
Lone's impatience finally influenced him, he set out to see where Al had
gone.

According to Jack, Al had gone to the corral. From there they put Jack
on the freshest hoofprints leaving the place, and were led here and
there in an apparently aimless journey to nowhere until, after Jack had
been at fault in another rock patch, the trail took them straight away
to the ridge overlooking the Quirt ranch. The two men looked at one
another.

"That's like Al," Lone commented drily. "Coyotes are foolish, alongside
him, and you'll find it out. I'll bet he's been watching this place
since daybreak."

"Where he goes, Yack will follow," Swan grinned cheerfully. "And I
follow Yack. We'll get him, Lone. That dog, he never quits till I say
quit."

"You better go down and get a horse, then," Lone advised. "They're all
gentle. Al's mounted, remember. He's maybe gone over to the Sawtooth,
and that's farther than you can walk."

"I can walk all day and all night, when I need to go like that. I can
take short cuts that a horse can't take. I think I shall go on my own
legs."

"Well, I'm going down to the house first. I know them two men riding
down to the gate. I want to see what the boss and Hawkins have got to
say about this last 'accident.' Better come on down, Swan. You might
pick up something. They're heading for the ranch, all right. Going to
make a play at being neighborly, I reckon."

"You bet I want to see Warfield," Swan assented rather eagerly and
called Jack, who had nosed around the