This was overcome, when a closer examination of the door was made. The bar of wood had been so arranged that it would drop down on the inside and so hold the door when it was closed from the outside. Hence the theory that it had been barred from the inside fell to the ground. “This may be nothing but a mare’s nest, though,” the officer suggested; “Juniper Joe and his wife may be both downtown right now.” “His wife was supposed to have been too badly hurt to leave the cabin,” the scout reminded. “But she may have gone to some doctor’s office!” Though this was true enough, the scout did not believe it. After they had made sure that the mine and cabin were unoccupied, Buffalo Bill asked the men to return to the town and make a search for Juniper Joe and his wife, and to arrest them if they were found. As for himself, as soon as the men set out, he turned about and started off, with the intention of rejoining Nomad and the baron. “A water haul!” he said to himself, as he walked on swiftly. “But I think that at last we are making some progress.” It was the scout’s opinion that the couple and Vera Bright had hastily left the town. “Why?” was the question. It seemed to him there could be but one answer. CHAPTER IX. THE CHASE. Old Nomad was exclaiming softly in his characteristic way, standing on the edge of a precipitous cliff wall. The baron, by his side, had hold of a bush, and was peering over into the depths below. “I’m er Piegan,” said Nomad, “ef suthin’ ain’t been throwed down thar!” “Aber I gand’t seen noddings, I am pelieving idt iss der pody,” the baron averred. Sounds of footsteps attracted their attention. Then they saw Buffalo Bill hurrying toward them. He had come rapidly from the town, having followed them without trouble, because of the broken bushes they had left in their wake to guide him. “Waugh!” Nomad called to him, and swung his hand. “Come over hyar!” “I’m coming.” “Ve haf followed der drail to dot boint ofer dhere,” the baron explained, as the scout came up. “Idt vendt straight on; but Nomat he seen vot he took to pe dracks goming dhis vay; unt idt loogks as uff somed’ings had peen pitched town here.” “We’re believin’ thet ther critter we follered sidetracked carefully to this point,” added Nomad, “an’ hyar he got rid o’ ther body he war kerryin’. Et looks et.” The scout seized a bush, and began to go down the cliff side. “We can soon discover if it is so,” he said. “Vot dit you findt in der town?” the baron shot at him. “Vera Bright, Juniper Joe, and his wife are all missing.” “Waugh!” Nomad whooped. “We’ve been figgerin’ thet we’ve been follerin’ ther trail o’ Juniper Joe and p’raps his wife. Anyhow, thar’s big tracks and leetle ones. But we couldn’t make et come out right thet Juniper Joe an’ his wife had been hyar, when we reckoned they war back in ther own cabin.”