and
still were found to be most convenient and useful for the purpose of
whisky-runners and of cattle-rustlers, affording safe hiding-places for
themselves and their spoil. With this trail and all its ramifications
Jerry was thoroughly familiar. The only other man in the Force who
knew it better than Jerry was Cameron himself. For many months he had
patroled the main trail and all its cross leaders, lived in its caves
and explored its caverns in pursuit of those interesting gentlemen whose
activities more than anything else had rendered necessary the existence
of the North West Mounted Police. In ancient times the caves along the
Sun Dance Trail had been used by the Indian Medicine-Men for their pagan
rites, and hence in the eyes of the Indians to these caves attached a
dreadful reverence that made them places to be avoided in recent years
by the various tribes now gathered on the reserves. But during these
last months of unrest it was suspected by the Police that the ancient
uses of these caves had been revived and that the rites long since
fallen into desuetude were once more being practised.

For the first few miles of the canyon the trail offered good footing
and easy going, but as the gorge deepened and narrowed the difficulties
increased until riding became impossible, and only by the most strenuous
efforts on the part of both men and beasts could any advance be made.
And so through the day and into the late evening they toiled on, ever
alert for sight or sound of the Piegan band. At length Cameron broke the
silence.

"We must camp, Jerry," he said. "We are making no time and we may spoil
things. I know a good camp-ground near by."

"Me too," grunted Jerry, who was as tired as his wiry frame ever allowed
him to become.

They took a trail leading eastward, which to all eyes but those familiar
with it would have been invisible, for a hundred yards or so and came
to the bed of a dry stream which issued from between two great rocks.
Behind one of these rocks there opened out a grassy plot a few yards
square, and beyond the grass a little lifted platform of rock against a
sheer cliff. Here they camped, picketing their horses on the grass and
cooking their supper upon the platform of rock over a tiny fire of dry
twigs, for the wind was blowing down the canyon and they knew that they
could cook their meal and have their smoke without fear of detection.
For some time after supper they sat smoking in that absolute sile