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Rh from lack of food. They had only what had been laid aside for the noon meal. At any rate. Stone decided, this was no time to thrash out suppositions as to Healy's treachery. They were in dire peril, despite Harvey's suggestion of "snookin' up the cañon after dark."

Stone had their map of the region, none too elaborate, in his hip pocket, and he took it out and laid it on the cave floor to study it. Stone Men Cañon was not shown by name and the general breakdown of Mogollon Mesa only indicated by shadings. Harvey said again that there was a trail to the mesa at the head of the cañon.

"It ain't much but we kin make it, if we git the chance. Top of the mesa thar ain't much to look at. Stretches way to the north fairly level 'cept for San Francisco Peaks. No water as I knows on, though there might be a waterhole or so, nigh that big butte you see thar."

"How about Clear Creek, to the west here?" asked Stone. "It seems to head on the mesa.'"

"Reckon she does," said Harvey. "I never hankered to trail across Mogollon Level myself. But I know where Clear Crick joins the Verde. That's fair in the valley, nigh Camp Verde an' the Santa Fé branch. In civilization. But the head of Clear Crick is a two-day trip, or more, over the mesa, which means over desert. I heerd tell thar was a 'con' camp of some sort started up on the mesa four or five years ago but I don't know rightly wharabouts. We might strike that if we had luck. Otherwise it's