ain features ain't.
Now, when we go farther, we got to do straight guessin'. Who was this
bunch that come in here where the two men was already camped? My guess
is that it was this here Dade and his outfit. But they don't find the
two here when they come, or there'd sure be sign of it. It looks to me
like them two boys got to know that somebody was on their back trail,
and moved camp sudden. But not so durn sudden they had to leave
anything behind. Question is, where have they went to--the whole
b'ilin' of 'em?"

"Down the valley. Otherwise we'd have seen some sign."

"I reckon that's so. If Dade works out things the way I have, he knows
he's close on to McHale. Say he's got four or five men with him. He can
comb the valley pretty clean. But here's another thing: How long will
them two boys let themselves be chased?"

"Not very long. It's not safe to crowd either of them."

"If it was me," said the sheriff reflectively, "and a feud party was
out on my trail, I'd be apt as not to bushwhack 'em some. You bet I
wouldn't stand on ceremony with such hostiles. If I knowed the country
I'd cache myself alongside some good open spot, wait till they got into
the middle of it, and then slam loose. With two men that savvy their
guns any one that got away would sure have a pull with Providence and
be workin' it awful hard."

"Sandy would do that in a minute; but I think Tom doesn't want any more
trouble if he can help it."

"He may get it shoved onto him. Well, seein' we're here, we may as well
eat. Then we'll move on."

When their meal was over they followed the valley. Sunset found them at
the edge of thick timber.

"How far does this run?" asked the sheriff.

"I don't know. I was never here before."

"Then we'll camp," said Dove, "and tackle her by daylight."

It was almost dark when Casey, sitting by the fire, suddenly held up
his hand. "Somebody coming."

The sheriff listened for a moment. "Two horses," he announced. "May be
Jack Pugh." Nevertheless, the old frontiersman shifted his position so
that his gun lay ready to his hand.

A moment later two shadowy horsemen appeared, resolving themselves, as
they approached, into Farwell and old Simon.

"Hello, the camp!" cried the former. "That you, Dunne?"

"Yes. What on earth are you doing here?"

"Same thing as yourself. This old Siwash missed you somehow. He found
McHale and young McCrae, and, on the way out, he ran into Dade, Lewis,
and the rest--six in all.