. Red Snake always was a little bit crazy--talking
about the thieving white man that stole his country and looking for a
chance to get the rest of his people killed off."

"I heard that down at Hallick's last week," drawled a man in the crowd.
"The Sioux is only waitin' for the Great White Queen to come out o' the
heart o' the airth an' lead 'em on the warpath. They got a surprisin'
plenty o' arms, too, for reservation Injuns. Know that, Sheriff?"

The Sheriff nodded slowly. "I wish Haines would get in," he said.
"I'd like to have a talk with him before we start. But it's getting
late."

The dull thudding of tired horses hoofs from the other side of the hill
below town came, to him as an answer. Presently Haines and his
companion joined, silently, the eager crowd at the station.

The owner of the Double Cross seemed to have aged ten years since he
had driven away with Pauline from that same station platform only a few
hours before. He would have given all the acres of the Double Cross
for just a word about Pauline; he would have given his life to know
that she was alive.

"There's nothing for it, Sheriff, but to rake the whole country," he
said wearily. "They've hidden her somewheres, if they haven't killed
her. And if they've killed her, mind, it's me you're to hang for it."

The Sheriff laid a strong hand on his old friend's shoulder. "I can
get the state militia out to look for that girl, Hal," he said. "By
the way, is there anything--anything queer about her?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Why, only that her folks have been writing to the Governor at Helena.
Sikes just gave me this from Governor Casson himself. Who is this
Raymond Owen? Who's been wiring to the Governor?"

"That's her guardian, I think. H'm," mused Haines as he read the
message, "that is queer. I wish they'd have wired me that yesterday."

The Sheriff folded the telegram and putting it back in his pocket,
stepped up on a box near the hotel door.

"I want to call for a hundred volunteer citizens to go hunt this girl,"
he announced.

A minute later, all that was left of Rockvale was the buildings and the
women, children and old men who stood watching a cloud of dust blotting
the sunset glow and listening to the retreating clatter of a flying
cavalcade.

Sikes kept the office open late. At 7 o'clock he telephoned to Mrs.
Haines at the Double Cross:

"What does he say?" she cried.

"Just one word--Comin'," said Curt