"I will call to them, in a minute or two, and tell them that it is your opinion that only a small portion of the flock have come this way. Then we will have a consultation and, no doubt, some of your friends will notice that the ground is not much trampled. Then we will decide to ride back to the point from which we started, and will follow the other trail."
"Yes, that will do very well," the settler agreed.
Reuben at once called to the trackers, who were trotting on ahead, and then ordered a halt. The two blacks came back.
"Joe," Reuben said, "Mr. Blount thinks that the main body of the flock have not come this way. He says he thinks only a hundred or two have come. The ground does not look to me anything like so much trampled as it was before we halted."
"I tink most of dem hab come along here," the tracker said sullenly.
"What do you think?" Reuben asked the other settlers, who had gathered round.
"I did not notice it before," Dick Caister said; "but now Blount has pointed it out, I agree with him entirely. There are nothing like the full number of sheep have passed along here. I should say that they have not gone along more than two or three deep."
There was a general chorus of assent.
"You can't have been keeping your eyes open," Reuben said to the trackers, sharply. "If you don't look sharp in future, we shall quarrel.
"Come, gentlemen, let us ride back to the halting place, and see if we cannot find out which way the main body have gone."