sheet face-downwards upon the imprint he pressed down smartly. The
result was a very fair impression of the footmark, which he immediately
outlined in pencil.

A strange ominous silence fell upon the group. Deep in wild, whirling
conjecture, each man gazed about him. The desolate, sinister aspect of
their surroundings struck them with a sudden chill. Yorke voiced the
general sentiment.

"My God!" he said in a low voice, "but it sure is dreary!"

With a final, self-satisfying survey at his "lay av things" Slavin
stepped well to the side of the incriminating foot-prints. "Come on!" he
said "get in file behint me! We will follow this up!"

Silently they obeyed and padded in his rear.

"D----d big feet, whoever owns 'em," remarked Redmond to Yorke.

Slavin heard him. "Ay!" he flung back grimly. "An' they will shtand on
th' dhrop yet--thim same feet!"

The tracks returning in the direction of the coulee presented a vast
contrast to the approaching imprints. Where the latter denoted an even,
steady stride, the former ran in queer, irregular fashion--sometimes
bunched together, and at others with wide spaces between.

"'On th' double!'" remarked Slavin observantly.

"Must have got scairt!"