The hound whined and pushed a cool nose into Wade's hand.
Then Wade resumed his noiseless and stealthy course through the woods.
He began a descent, leading off somewhat to the right of the point where the smoke had arisen.

The presence of the rustlers in the cabin was of importance, yet not so paramount as another possibility.

He expected Jack Belllounds to be with them or meet them there, and that was the thing he wanted to ascertain.

When he got down below the little valley he swung around to the left to cross the trail that came up from the main valley, some miles still farther down.

He found it, and was not surprised to see fresh horse tracks, made that morning.