innumerable. The Panther made a long and critical examination of
everything.

"I'm thinkin'," he said, "that Cos stayed here three or four days. All
the signs p'int that way. He was bound by the terms we gave him at San
Antonio to go an' not fight ag'in, but he's shorely takin' his time
about it. Look at these bones, will you? Now, Ned, you promisin' scout
an' skirmisher, tell me what they are."

"Buffalo bones," replied Ned promptly.

"Right you are," replied the Panther, "an' when Cos left San Antonio he
wasn't taking any buffaloes along with him to kill fur meat. They staid
here so long that the hunters had time to go out an' shoot game."

"A long lane's the thief of time," said Obed, "and having a big march
before him, Cos has concluded to walk instead of run."

"'Cause he was expectin' somethin' that would stop him," said the
Panther angrily. "I hate liars an' traitors. Well, we'll soon see."

Their curiosity became so great that they rode at a swift trot on the
great south trail, and not ten miles further they came upon the
unmistakable evidences of another big camp that had lasted long.

"Slower an' slower," muttered the Panther. "They must have met a
messenger. Wa'al, it's fur us to go slow now, too."

But he said aloud: