He was convinced there was no doubt in Donald's mind about the rifle-shot, and that the shot could mean but one thing--the nearness of Mortimer FitzHugh and Quade.

Why they should reveal their presence in that way he did not ask himself as he hurried down into the plain with Joanne.

By the time they reached the camp old Donald had covered two thirds of the distance to the mountain.

Aldous looked at his watch and a curious thrill shot through him.

Only a little more than an hour had passed since they had left the mountain to follow Joanne, and in that time it would have been impossible for their enemies to have covered more than a third of the eight-mile stretch of valley which they had found empty of human life under the searching scrutiny of the telescope! He was right--and MacDonald was wrong! The sound of the shot, if there had been a shot, must have come from some other direction! He wanted to shout his warning to MacDonald, but already too great a distance separated them.