They rode slowly along up the canyon, picking their way carefully around such obstructions as came in the path.
“Have you been looking to see if there are as many signs up here as below?” Bob asked of his chum, as he noticed Frank watching the ground by bending over in his saddle.
“I don’t seem to get on to them, if they are,” replied the other. “But then, we’d better hold in our horses a little, and hear what Scotty has to say. Pretty soon he’ll call a halt, and then we’ll know.”
But they continued on until it became so dark in the canyon that the ponies frequently stumbled. Scotty had fallen back, and was riding alongside the stockman now, with whom he
seemed to be conversing eagerly, as though he had news worth while to communicate.
Then Colonel Haywood threw up his hand. It was a signal to halt, recognized by every one in the party. Pressing in a little circle around the leaders, they waited to hear how things were working.
“We leave the ponies up here, boys,” said the stockman, “and go back on foot. Do you remember noticing that little split in the left side of the arroyo, where Scotty halted a few seconds? Well, the herd was driven through that, one at a time. It’s the secret passage no one has ever been able to find, up to now.”
All sorts of low exclamations told how eagerly the cow punchers received the welcome news that the long hidden trail had been found.
“How do you suppose Scotty ever made that out?” asked Bob, unable to hold his curiosity in check. “Frank, do you reckon he found the tracks of the cattle on the stones, where the rustlers failed to make ’em out?”
“Well, there might be lots of ways of knowing that,” replied the other boy. “And to tell you the truth, Bob, I saw Scotty taking a quick look at the sharp edges of the rock just where the crack starts. Now, it wouldn’t surprise, me much if he discovered some bunches of hair fastened there, where it was rubbed off the flank of a steer that