“Here’s their tracks as sure as I’m a sinner, and it’s my private opine they ain’t fur off neither.”
“Shall we wait until daylight before we undertake to follow it?”
“I am much afraid we shall have to, as there may be signs which we might miss in this darkness. Day can’t be far off.”
“Several hours yet.”
“Well, we will make ourselves comfortable until then.”
With these words the trio seated themselves upon the earth, and kept up a low conversation until morning. As soon as the faint light appeared, they detected the Indian canoe a short distance up the bank, secreted beneath a heavy, overhanging mass of undergrowth. As it was during the summer season, their pursuit was continued at an early hour, so the savages could have had but a few hours start at the most. With Ina they could not proceed very rapidly, and our friends were sanguine of overtaking them ere the day closed.
The only apprehension the pursuers felt, was that the three savages, fully conscious now that their enemies were upon their trail, might hasten to rejoin the main body, and thus cut off all hope. They could not be many miles apart, and must have made some preparation for this contingency.
The trail to the hunter’s eye was distinct and easily followed. He took the lead, striding rapidly forward, while Haverland and Graham were continually on the look-out for danger. Haverland was somewhat fearful that the savages, finding they could not avoid being overtaken, would halt and form an ambush into which the hunter would blindly lead them. The latter, however, although he appeared culpably rash and heedless, understood Indian tactics better; he knew no halt would be made until the savages were compelled to do so.
“Ah!—see here!” exclaimed Haldidge, suddenly pausing.