He had no difficulty in keeping the trail. It lay broad and plain before him. The red-skins had made no effort to conceal it. Perhaps they thought they could not hide it from him if they tried to do so; and then they may have thought that there would be little likelihood of his attempting to follow them. He had fled away before them, and they could hardly think that he would have the hardihood to return and contend with the odds against him.
Only once during the day did he pause for a little rest. On the bank of a small stream he sat down when the sun was at its meridian and partook of a portion of the food he had prepared that morning. As yet he had found no sign where the savages had paused for rest or refreshment, and he knew that the captives must be well-nigh worn out for want of both.
The sun was hardly more than two hours high when suddenly the scout paused, and looked about him with a puzzled look. The trail parted here.
This was something that he had not counted on. What reasons could the savages have had for parting? Could it be that fearing pursuit from him, they had done so for the purpose of misleading him?
Or did Rushing Water wish to separate Ruth from her friends?
The scout was puzzled to decide which, but so long as it was done it did not matter so much why.
Carefully he examined the ground for a short distance along either of the branches of the trail, and at last he was able to determine how the prisoners had been divided between them.
The largest body had taken along with them all save one.
This the footprints showed to be a woman; and was either Ruth or her mother.
He at once decided that it was the former.