The high ridge of the Golden Crest was not reached until about the middle of the morning, and here from a concealed position the two men looked down upon Glen West lying snugly by the water’s side.  They could see the big house quite plainly, and they eagerly watched Glen as she paddled alone upon the creek.  She was beyond their reach, however, so they were helpless.  But when the girl was at length joined by Reynolds, and the canoe was headed upstream, Curly’s eyes glowed with the fire of hatred and jealousy, while his hands gripped hard the rifle he was holding.  He was lying flat upon the ground, peering over the edge of a big boulder with Dan close by his side.  As the canoe came nearer, Curly thrust his rifle impetuously forward and fired.  With a curse, Dan reached out and laid a firm hand upon the weapon.

“What in h——­ d’ye mean?” he demanded.  “Ye’ve spoiled everything.”

“I wanted to get that cur down there,” was the snarling reply.  “I missed him that time, but I’ll get him yet.”

“No, ye don’t,” Dan declared, as Curly tried to free the rifle from his companion’s grasp.  “If ye shoot again, we’ll have a pack of Indians after us.  There, look now!” and he pointed to the canoe which was heading down the creek.  “That’s what you’ve done.  You’ve scared our game and sent them back to give the alarm.  Most likely they intended to land somewhere up the creek, an’ do some private spoonin’.  We could have crept down, knocked out the guy, an’ carried off the gal.  But now—­bah! ye’ve spoiled the whole show!”

Curly made no reply, but lay there watching the canoe until it had reached Sconda’s landing.  His heart was bitter with rage as he recalled his expulsion from Glen West, while his opponent was in full possession of the girl he was seeking.  Several times during the morning he voiced his sentiments to his companion.

“Just wait, Curly,” Dan comforted.  “Our turn will come, never fear, providin’ ye don’t lose yer head as ye did this mornin’.  I know something about lovers.  They generally like to get off somewhere by themselves to do their spoonin’.  They’ll be wanderin’ up along that trail between here an’ the water some time this afternoon, an’ that’ll be our chance.”

But this time Dan was mistaken.  The young lovers did not come up the trail, neither did they see them again during the remainder of the day, although they stayed there until the sun had gone down.  They accordingly went back to Dan’s cabin a sulky and ugly pair.  Lustful, and filled with the spirit of revenge, they became all the more determined and desperate the more they were baffled in their plans.

Early the next morning they again took up their position on the high crest.  They did not have long to wait now, for in less than an hour they beheld something upon the trail below them which gladdened their devilish hearts.  At once they vanished from the summit, and like panthers stole cautiously through the forest, and cautiously began to stalk their unconscious prey.