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 with all those rumors about the gang that’s holed up in here—well they sent me in to look for a man who is wanted on a federal charge, with instructions to investigate any others I could find.”

“Nash!” Moran exclaimed.

“Absolutely,” said Vermont. “That’s the man. Even if we’d find him prowling around up here we couldn’t touch him. Any man has the right to do that. I’ve never seen him—wouldn’t know him if I did. Would you?”

“I certainly would,” Moran stated. Many things were now quite clear to him. He had wondered how these men who had attacked the girl managed to live through the long winter and spring when the passes were blocked with snow. They could kill enough meat in the fall to last them through; it would freeze and keep; but they would need other things. These were marked men and they could not easily appear in the towns and buy supplies. They could go in and out themselves, revisiting old haunts when the hunt for them had died down. They might raid and rob and get back to the hills unseen; but they could not supply so large a number of men with food except through outside help. Nash’s connection with them pointed to the identity of this