Still others—­the last to pour through the throat of the gorge—­were clambering out, using the sinking bodies of others to assist them; Sanderson could see a few more choking the far end of the Hole.

How many had escaped he did not know, nor care.  The dramatic finish of Soapy was vivid, and concern for the other members of the outfit was uppermost in his mind.

He rode the back trail slowly.  The destruction of his herd had not occupied ten minutes, it seemed.  Dazed with the suddenness of it, and with a knowledge of what portended, he came to the spot where Soapy’s horse had stumbled and looked upon what was left of the man.  His face dead white, his hands trembling, he spread his blanket over the spot.  He had formed an affection for Soapy.

Mounting Streak, he resumed his ride toward the camp.  A dead silence filled the wide level from which the stampede had started—­a silence except for the faint bellowing that still reached his ears from the direction of the Hole.

Half a mile from where he had found the pitiable remnants of Soapy he came upon Carter.  The range boss was lying prone on his back, his body apparently unmarred.  His horse was standing near him, grazing.  Carter had not been in the path of the herd.

What, then, had happened to him?

Sanderson dismounted and went to his knees beside the man.  At first he could see no sign of anything that might have caused death—­for Carter was undoubtedly dead—­and already stiffening!  Then he saw a red patch staining the man’s shirt, and he examined it.  Carter had been shot.  Sanderson stood up and looked around.  There was no one in sight.  He mounted Streak and began to ride toward the camp, for he felt that Carter’s death had resulted from an accident.  One explanation was that a stray bullet had killed Carter—­in the excitement of a stampede the men were apt to shoot wildly at refractory steers.

But the theory of accident did not abide.  Halfway between Carter and the camp Sanderson came upon Bud.  Bud was lying in a huddled heap.  He had been shot from behind.  Later, continuing his ride to camp, Sanderson came upon the other men.

He found the Kid and the cook near the chuck wagon, Sogun and Andy were lying near the fire, whose last faint embers were sputtering feebly; Buck was some distance away, but he, too, was dead!

Sanderson went from one to the other of the men, to make a final examination.  Bending over Sogun, he heard the latter groan, and in an instant Sanderson was racing to the river for water.

He bathed Sogun’s wound—­which was low on the left side, under the heart, and, after working over him for five or ten minutes, giving him whisky from a flask he found in the chuck wagon, and talking to the man in an effort to force him into consciousness, he was rewarded by seeing Sogun open his eyes.

Sogun looked perplexedly at Sanderson, whose face was close.