ach over this trail at night."

"It sounded to me like wheels."

"There it is again."

All listened attentively, and then one said:

"It is the wind in the pines."

The wind was rising and this solution of mysterious sound seemed to
settle the matter, so all laid down in their blankets once more.

The man who had discovered the sound was the one to arise first in the
morning, and the day was just dawning when he left his blankets, gazed
about him, and then walked over to where the stage-trail ran, several
hundred yards from their camp, and along through a bit of meadow-land.

He had hardly reached the trail when he gave a loud halloo, which
brought his comrades from their blankets in an instant, and his call set
them coming toward him at a run.

"Look there, pards!" he cried, and as each man reached his side he stood
gazing down at the trail.

"The stage has gone by," said one, with an oath, as his eyes fell upon
the tracks of the six horses and the wheel-marks, lately made.

"Then one man was bold enough to dare the drive at night!"

"Sure, and the chief will be furious with us!"

"What is to be done now?"

"The coach is safe in W---- now, for if that fellow drove safely over
the back trail he had no trouble beyond here."

"Then we had better get a move on us."

"Sure, for that agent suspects us, and there'll be a gang on our heels
mighty quick," and hastening back to camp, the party mounted and rode
rapidly on toward the mountains.

CHAPTER XIX.

A FAIR PASSENGER.

Harding had ridden rapidly upon the trail back toward the night relay,
for he felt sure that the agent was right in his conjecture that the
party of wild fellows who had left W---- had intended to hold him up on
the trail the next day when he came along.

In fact, the slip of paper he had picked up at the Dead Line had been a
warning to that effect, and hence he had dared take the drive at night,
hoping thus to elude his foes, and had been successful.

When he reached the trail where the party had turned off to camp, they
soon came upon their halting-place, and as the ashes of their fire was
cold, it proved that they had departed before having breakfast there.

"Something frightened them off," said Harding. "But I wonder they did
not hear my wheels, camping as they did this near to the stage-trail."

"They kept no watch, doubtless; but will you follow them?"

"Yes, to the relay-station at least."

Arriving there, for th