Page:The Cross Pull.pdf/263

 under cover of this noise Kinney and Moran mounted the shelf and lay flat upon it, screened by the low hanging branches of a spruce.

A blaze sprang up within fifty feet of them. As its brilliance increased they could see that it had been kindled in the center of a small open glade only a few feet across. The branches of the surrounding spruce almost met above it, roofing it in. Several men rode down the gorge, tied their horses among the trees and joined the first two at the fire. The newcomers were scarcely seated when more arrived. They came in straggling groups of twos and threes until there were fifteen men around the fire. Every word of theirs reached Kinney and Moran.

They discussed the possibility of the posse finding their retreat. All were agreed that their present plan was best—to ride all night and scatter through the hills in little groups, returning to the Hole once more as soon as the hunt died down. They now only waited for Brent and Nash to come before starting on their nightlong ride. The two men on the shelf heard things which turned their blood to ice. Both had taken it for granted that Nash and Brent had planned to leave by themselves a few hours earlier than