Far down the river he crossed at a shallow ford, entered a section of timber, and loped Patches slowly through this. He found a trail that he had used several times before, when he had been working for the Diamond H and necessity or whim had sent him this way, and rode it, noting that it seemed to have been used much, lately. "I reckon old Abe's poundin' his horses considerable. Why, it's right plain," he added, after a little reflection, "this here trail runs into the Lazette trail, down near the ford. An' Abe's wearin' it out, ridin' to Lazette for red-eye. I reckon if I was Abe, I'd quit while the quittin's good." He laughed, patting Patches' shoulder. "Shucks, a man c'n see another man's faults pretty far, but his own is pretty near invisible. You've rode the Lazette trail a heap, too, Patches," he said, "when your boss was hittin' red-eye. We ain't growin' no angels' wings, Patches, which would give us the right to go to criticizin' others." Presently he began to ride with more caution, for he wanted to surprise Hagar. A quarter of a mile from the cabin he brought Patches to a halt on a little knoll and looked about him. He had a good view of the cabin in the clearing, and he watched it long, for signs of life. He saw no such signs. "Abe's out putterin' around, an' Hagar's nappin', I reckon--or tryin' on her new dresses," he added as an after-thought. He was about to ride on, when a sound reached his ears, and he drew the reins tight on Patches and sat rigid, alert, listening. The perfect silence of the timber was unbroken. He had almost decided that his ears had played him a trick when the sound came again, nearer than before--the sound of voices. Quickly and accurately he determined from which direction they came, and he faced that way, watching a narrow path that led through the timber to a grass plot not over a hundred feet from him, from which he was screened by some thick-growing brush at his side. He grinned, fully expecting to see Abe and Hagar on the path presently. "Abe's behavin' today," he told himself as he waited. "I'll sure surprise them, if--" Suddenly he drew his breath sharply, his teeth came together viciously, and his brows drew to a frown, his eyes gleaming coldly underneath. For he saw Willard Masten coming along the path, smiling and talking, and beside him, his arm around her waist, also smiling, but with her head bent forward a little, was Hagar Catherson.