ut us, so we had better go on."

It may have been the fire that operated on Aleck's superstition in this
way, for Tom listened and could hear them going headlong along the path.
He did not think it quite safe to venture near the burning cabin until
he had seen what had become of the robbers, so he left his rifle where
it had fallen and, with his revolver for company, pursued the men toward
the natural prairie. He did not feel the least fear of meeting the
robbers in the evergreens, for his ears had informed him of their
passage through them; so when he stopped behind one of the trees and
took a survey of the ground before him, he was delighted to discover
them far away, and going along as if all the demons in the woods were
behind them. His next business was to go back and save what he could.
The fire was already burning brightly, but, knowing where everything
was, he succeeded in saving Elam's saddle and bridle, all the
provisions, his clothing, and a few of the skins which served him for a
bed. Then he sat down, drew his hands across his heated face, and waited
as patiently as he could for the rest to burn up. As Elam had occupied
the cabin for three or four winters, it burned like so much tinder. The
principal thing that occupied his attention now was what he had heard
the men say regarding Elam.

"Elam has been shot at three or four times right here in these
mountains," soliloquized Tom. "He didn't say a word to me about that,
and I reckon it was something he did not want to speak of. Now, I will
leave the things right here and go and find Elam."

This would have been a task beyond him had he not seen the way Elam went
the day before. He went up the prairie to gather in his traps, and of
course all he had out must have been up that way, too. He didn't know
anything about the theory of setting traps for wolves, but Elam
understood it, and he was sure he was going the right way to find him.
At any rate, he wouldn't go far out of sight of the smoke of the burning
cabin, and with that resolution he cast his eye over the wreck to see if
there was anything else that he could save, and struck into the path.

"I'll leave my revolver there where it is," said Tom. "There can't be
more than one set of thieves around here at once. And I've got what has
ruined that fellow. If I haven't got the secret of Elam's nugget here in
my pocket, I'll give up. I'll go with you now, Elam. I'll face a dozen
Red Ghosts for the sake of gett