ing he believes, and you
could pull his teeth before you pull that notion from his thick head.
You acted funny, that day Fred Thurman was killed, and you gave
yourself away at the stable when I showed you that saddle. So I think
you're the killer, and I keep on thinking that, and I've been trying to
catch you with evidence. I'm a Swede, all right! Square head. Built
of wood two inches thick. Loney, you kick me good. You don't have
time to ride over here, get some other horse and ride back to the Quirt
after Frank was killed. You got there before I did, last night. We
know Frank was dead not much more than one hour when we get him to the
bunk-house. Yack, he gives you a good alibi."

"I sure am glad we took the time to trail that horse, then," Lone
remarked, while Swan was removing the handcuffs. "You're all right,
Swan. Nothing like sticking to an idea till you know it's wrong. Now,
let's stick to mine for awhile. Let's go on to Whisper. It ain't far."

They returned to the rocky hillside where the trail had been covered,
and searched here and there for the tracks of another horse; found the
trail and followed it easily enough to Whisper. Swan put Jack once
more on the scent of the handkerchief, and if actions meant anything,
Jack proved conclusively that he found the Whisper camp reeking with
the scent.

But that was all,--since Al was at that moment trailing Lorraine toward
the Sawtooth.

"We may as well eat," Swan suggested. "We'll get him, by golly, but we
don't have to starve ourselves."

"He wouldn't know we're after him," Lone agreed. "He'll stick around
so as not to raise suspicion. And he might come back, most any time.
If he does, we'll say I'm out with you after coyotes, and we stopped
here for a meal. That's good enough to satisfy him--till you get the
drop on him. But I want to tell yuh, Swan, you can't take Al Woodruff
as easy as you took me. And you couldn't have taken me so easy if I'd
been the man you wanted. Al would kill you as easy as you kill
coyotes. Give him a reason, and you won't need to give him a chance
along with it. He'll find the chance himself."

Because they thought it likely that Al would soon return, they did not
hurry. They were hungry, and they cooked enough food for four men and
ate it leisurely. Jim was at the ranch, Sorry had undoubtedly returned
before now, and the coroner would probably not arrive before noon, at
the earliest.

Swan wanted to ta