Dick eagerly inspected the trail and was forced to arrive at the same conclusion.
“Turn back, then,” he cried. “We will find which way she has gone and follow. I will take the trail on one side and you on the other and we will soon pick it up again.”
They had not gone back twenty paces when Jack Fish stopped beside a clump of thick bushes which grew close to the path, and stooping, looked under them.
“I’ve found it, boys. She crept under the bushes here and got away from him; follow me.”
He passed through the bushes, parting them carefully, and upon the other side found the trail clearly defined and leading at a right angle from the course they had been following.
“She’s smart,” said Garrett, admiringly. “I don’t know as I blame Will for liking her, after all. She has beaten this fellow well, and as we don’t want any thing from him just now, we’ll follow the girl.”
They kept on swiftly, for Jack announced that Sadie was fatigued at this point and was no longer running. Soon after they reached a place where, worn out by fatigue, she had seated herself upon a bank and rested for a little time. From this point the trail became erratic, and she was evidently wandering up and down seeking for some course out of the woods, and the night found them still upon the trail and they camped for the night determined to take the trail again at early morning.
“And we’ll run her to earth before nine o’clock, you mark my words,” said Garrett. “Lucky for you I am your leader, or you would have gone back to meet Will Jackwood.”
“Not if I knows it,” said Tracey. “Will Jackwood never sees me again if we don’t find her in the morning. Now I think of it, where is the Indian girl?”
“I never thought of her,” said Garrett. “Can it be possible that she killed the men?”