The surprise stunned him. For a moment he gazed stupidly at these strange
tracks. Who had made them? Had Creech met allies? Was that likely when the man
had no friends? Pondering the thing, Slone went slowly on, realizing that a
new and disturbing feature confronted him. Then when these new tracks met the
trail that Creech had left Slone found that these strangers were as interested
in Creech's tracks as he was. Slone found their boot-marks in the sand--the
hand-prints where some one had knelt to scrutinize Creech's trail.
Slone led his horse and walked on, more and more disturbed in mind. When he
came to a larger, bare, flat canyon bottom, where the rock had been washed
clear of sand, he found no more cedar berries. They had been picked up. At the
other extreme edge of this stony ground he found crumpled bits of cedar and
cedar berries scattered in one spot, as if thrown there by some one who read
their meaning.
This discovery unnerved Slone. It meant so much. And if Slone had any hope or
reason to doubt that these strangers had taken up the trail for good, the next
few miles dispelled it.
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