A Rustler's Conscience 149 



as one who was half in sorrow, half in bit- 

 terness, "You're all against me, and you're 

 trying to get me wrong on this, but I can 

 find the trail in spite of you, I can find it." 

 And without further word he struck his 

 horse and bounded on, the ponies scam- 

 pering before him. A wearisome yet mag- 

 nificent walk of two days and a half, through 

 wilderness and over mountain-top, brought 

 us back to Mammoth Hot Springs just as 

 Toot drove in with our team, and, clamber- 

 ing into the wagon-seats, we resumed our 

 ride. How and where we passed him I do 

 not know, but during a halt soon after the 

 rustler came up from behind, and clattered 

 by with his ponies for the third time. 



" Bozeman ?" he cried, pointing north- 

 ward. 



"Yes," we answered. 



The old doubt came into his face. " Til 

 find it in spite of you," he repeated. And 

 he galloped away, each horse marking his 

 course by puffs of dust that drifted up from 

 the sage brush like a volley smoke. Our 

 guide watched the retreating figure curi- 

 ously. Then he remarked, with noncha- 



