ing
of the men until Lone appeared and fed the flames more wood, and sat
down where the light shone on his face. Swan grinned again. Warfield
had probably decided that Lorraine would be less afraid of Lone than of
them and had ordered him into the firelight as a sort of decoy. And
Lone, knowing that Al Woodruff might be within shooting distance, was
probably much more uncomfortable than he looked.

He sat with his legs crossed in true range fashion and stared into the
fire while he smoked. He was a fair mark for an enemy who might be
lurking out there in the dark, but he gave no sign that he realised the
danger of his position. Neither did he wear any air of expectancy.
Warfield and Hawkins might wait and listen and hope that Lorraine,
wide-eyed and weary, would steal up to the warmth of the fire; but not
Lone.

Swan, sitting on a rotting log, became uneasy at the fine target which
Lone made by the fire, and drew Al Woodruff's blue bandanna from his
pocket. He held it to Jack's nose and whispered, "You find him,
Yack--and I lick you good if you bark." Jack sniffed, dropped his nose
to the ground and began tugging at the leash. Swan got up and, moving
stealthily, followed the dog.

CHAPTER XXIII

"I COULDA LOVED THIS LITTLE GIRL"

A chill wind that hurried over Bear Top ahead of the dawn brought Swan
and Jack clattering up the trail that dipped into Spirit Canyon.
Warfield rose stiffly from the one-sided warmth of the fire and walked
a few paces to meet him, shrugging his wide shoulders at the cold and
rubbing his thigh muscles that protested against movement. Much riding
upon upholstered cushions had not helped Senator Warfield to retain the
tough muscles of hard-riding Bill Warfield. The Senator was
saddle-sore as well as hungry, and his temper showed in his blood-shot
eyes. He would have quarrelled with his best-loved woman that morning,
and he began on Swan.

Why hadn't he come back down the gulch yesterday and helped track the
girl, as he was told to do? (The senator had quite unpleasant opinions
of Swedes, and crazy women, and dogs that were never around when they
were wanted, and he expressed them fluently.)

Swan explained with a great deal of labour that he had not thought he
was wanted, and that he had to sleep on his claim sometimes or the law
would take it from him, maybe. Also he virtuously pointed out that he
had come with Yack before daylight to the canyon to see if they had
fo