old Huck there would have been death
and robbery beyond all doubt."

"He is a very daring man to do what he did."

"He is indeed, and it will surely mark him for death with the
road-agents."

"Beyond all doubt; but we must make a start early enough to bring us to
the scene by daybreak, so good night."

The two separated to meet again when old Huck came up ready mounted to
take the trail.

The party who were to go were soon in the saddle, and they started off
at a canter. There was just a trace of snow upon the ground, and they
were glad to see that there was no more.

A brisk gallop brought them to the Dead Line at dawn, and the search was
at once begun.

Hardly any snow had fallen there, and in the pinons there was none, so
that in several places the ground was stained red, showing that the fire
from the coach had not been useless if not fatal.

Then old Huck showed his skill as a trailer, for he at once went to work
in a way that revealed the fact that he was an old hand at the business.

He went from blood-stain to blood-stain in silence, examined the
position of the thicket, took in the whole situation, and the direction
of the stage when the firing had been going on, and at last started off
up the canyon following a trail that was so faint that a number of the
party said that there was no trail at all.

But he climbed up the steep side of the canyon end, followed by the
others, and there on the top were found several red spots in different
places.

"Three, maybe dead, maybe only wounded," he said shortly.

"Those three stains tell you that, old man?" asked Doctor Dick.

"Yas, they took off their dead or wounded, as ther case might be, and
halted ter rest after climbin' up here, and right here is whar they laid
the dead or wounded down, while they was restin'."

"Well, which way now, Huck, for your solution seems the right one," said
Doctor Dick.

"That's hard ter tell, for a horse wouldn't leave no track here," was
the reply.

CHAPTER XV.

A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE.

That even old Huckleberry had lost his grip on the trail, after reaching
the top of the ridge, was soon evident, for, search as he might, he
could find no trace of a track in the hard, rocky soil about them.

"We'll scatter, pards, and try ter find another place whar they has
rested the'r loads, for they won't carry heavy weights far up this slope
without restin'," he said.

So the party separated, and half an hour