With Gun & Rod in Canada 



flying in that direction, fearing for their pay-roll. They 

 got to the scene of the robbery not more than two hours 

 and a half after it occurred, and were in hot pursuit in a 

 few minutes more; so the fugitives, with their seventy- 

 five thousand dollars in gold and greenbacks, had barely 

 three hours' start of their pursuers. 



CHAPTER 3. 



It was just about dark and Butch was riding ahead 

 at a sharp trot. Mat rode behind and kept the pack- 

 animals moving. 



Suddenly Butch pulled up, dropped off his horse and 

 put his ear to the ground. He got quickly up, and with a 

 sweeping glance around said in a low, tense voice : 



" We have got to ride for it. They are close on to us 



now." 



He threw himself on his horse, and jerking the lead-line, 

 started off. Mat lashed the pack-horses into a run. 

 They were still fairly fresh and lightly loaded. 



As they mounted the ridge before descending into 

 Green River Canyon, a rifle-ball zipped past Mat's ear. 



He turned and caught sight of a string of soldiers just 

 galloping into sight in the trail behind him. 



Down the trail to the river ran the fugitives. It was 

 only a mile more to the water, over a crooked trail which 

 Butch knew like a book; not so the soldiers. When they 

 hit the rough, rocky trail, they had to pull up. A fall 

 would mean certain death. 



Down they went at a sliding trot. The fugitives were 

 gaining as they slid, stumbled, and sprang down the trail 

 like mountain goats. Mat had urged the pack-horses 

 to their utmost. He risked everything for speed. A fall 

 would mean capture, but down they went. 



196 



