merged amongst countless others on the well-travelled highway, they
became more difficult to trace, though occasionally the faint
blood-stains proclaimed their identity.

Slavin pulled up. "Luks as if he'd shtruck back tu Cow Run again," he
said with conviction. "Must have come from there, tu--thracks was goin'
and comin' an' ye noticed, fwhin we climbed out av th' coulee back there.
We must luk for a harse wid th' nigh-hind badly 'calked.' Yorkey! yu'
get back an' tell that Lanky Jones feller tu come on. Hitch yez own
harses behint our cutter an' take th' lines." He squinted at the sun and
pulled out his watch. "'Tis four o'clock, begob! Twill turn bitther
cowld whin th' sun goes down."

The coroner smiled knowingly. "Talking about 'calks'!" he remarked; and
diving into the deep recesses of his fur coat he produced a
comfortable-looking leather-encased flask. "A little 'calk' all round
won't hurt us after that tramp, Sergeant!" he observed kindly.

Their transport presently arriving, they proceeded on their way to Cow
Run, Yorke and Redmond watching carefully for any tracks debouching from
the main trail. Occasionally they dismounted to verify the incriminating
hoof-prints which still continued eastward. In this fashion they finally
drew to the level of the river, where the trail forked; one arm of it
following more or less the winding course of the Bow River back westward.
At this junction they searched narrowly until they found unmistakable
indication of the blood-tinged tracks still heading in the direction of
Cow Run.

"What was that case of yours, Yorkey?" enquired Redmond. "You know--what
Slavin was talking about?"