l the same."

"They know too much about shootin' for _me_ to foller 'em any more,"
remarked the third man, running rapidly out of the road and in the
shadow caused by a tree.

"They can't keep up that gait for ever," said Bill Braymer. "I'm goin'
to foller 'em on foot, if it takes all night; I'll get even with em for
that hoss they've done me out of."

"I'm with you, Bill," remarked Pete Williamson, "an' mebbe we can
snatch _their_ hosses, just to show'em how it feels."

The third man lifted up his voice. "I 'llow I've had enough of this here
kind of thing," said he, "an' I'll get back to the settlement while
there's anything for me to get there on. I reckon you'll make a haul,
but--I don't care--I'd rather be poor than spend a counterfeiter's
money."

And off he rode, just as the younger Williamson, with refreshed horse,
dashed up, exclaiming:

"No signs of him back yonder, but there's blood-tracks beginnin' in the
middle of the road, an' leanin' along this way. Come on!"

And away he galloped, while his brother remarked to his companion:

"'Ef _he_ should have luck, an' get the reward, you be sure to tell him
all the good things I've said about him, won't you?"

Jim Williamson rode rapidly in the direction of the wagon until, finding
himself alone, and remembering what had befallen his companions, he
dismounted, tied his horse to a tree, and pursued rapidly on foot. He
soon saw the wagon looming up in front of him again, and was puzzled to
know how to reach it and learn the truth, when the wagon turned abruptly
off the road, and apparently into the forest.

Following as closely as he could under cover of the timber, he found
that, after picking its way among the trees for a mile, it stopped
before a small log cabin, of whose existence Jim had never known before.

There were some groans plainly audible as Jim saw one man get out of the
wagon and half carry and half drag another man into the hut. A moment
later, and a streak of light appeared under the door of the hut, and
there seemed to be no windows in the structure; if there were, they were
covered.

Jim remained behind a sheltering tree for what seemed two hours, and
then stealthily approached the wagon. No one was in it. Then he removed
his boots and stole on tiptoe to the hut. At first he could find no
chink or crevice through which to look, but finally, on one side of the
log chimney, he spied a ray of light. Approaching the hole and applying
his