No party of plainsmen would ever venture to build a fire in so exposed a spot, and no small company would take the chances of the trail.

But surely that appeared to be the flap of a canvas wagon top a little to the right of the smoke, yet all was so far away he could not be certain.

He stared in that direction a long while, shading his eyes with both hands, unable to decide.

There were three or four moving black dots higher up the river, but so far away he could not distinguish whether men or animals.

Only as outlined against the yellow sand dunes could he tell they were advancing westward toward the ford.
Decidedly puzzled by all this, yet determined to solve the mystery and unwilling to remain hidden there until night, Keith led his horse along the slant of the ridge, until he attained a sharp break through the bluff leading down into the valley.