"Beyond all doubt; but we must make a start early enough to bring us to the scene by daybreak, so good night."
The two separated to meet again when old Huck came up ready mounted to take the trail.
The party who were to go were soon in the saddle, and they started off at a canter. There was just a trace of snow upon the ground, and they were glad to see that there was no more.
A brisk gallop brought them to the Dead Line at dawn, and the search was at once begun.
Hardly any snow had fallen there, and in the piñons there was none, so that in several places the ground was stained red, showing that the fire from the coach had not been useless if not fatal.
Then old Huck showed his skill as a trailer, for he at once went to work in a way that revealed the fact that he was an old hand at the business.
He went from blood-stain to blood-stain in silence, examined the position of the thicket, took in the whole situation, and the direction of the stage when the firing had been going on, and at last started off up the cañon following a trail that was so faint that a number of the party said that there was no trail at all.
But he climbed up the steep side of the cañon end, followed by the others, and there on the top were found several red spots in different places.
"Three, maybe dead, maybe only wounded," he said shortly.
"Those three stains tell you that, old man?" asked Doctor Dick.