"Yes, there's their tracks," agreed the Professor. "Now follow them, but look out that you do not get lost."
Instead, a few moments afterward, they lost the trail. It disappeared from before them as utterly as if the ponies had walked on air from that point on. No amount of searching brought it to view again, and after more than an hour of persistent effort, the Professor called the hunt off, and the crestfallen party returned to camp.
"What are we going to do?" asked Stacy dolefully.
"I know what you are going to do," returned Ned.
"What?"
"You're going to ride a mule from this point on."
CHAPTER VIII
THE INDIAN MAKES A DISCOVERY
It was not a cheerful breakfast to which the lads sat down. It seemed as if nothing but trouble had overtaken them ever since they had been in the Ozark Mountains.
They had just finished when the Indian rode in on Ned's mount, which he had chosen for his journey.