its
food. They must have had an easy shot. Now, we'll enter the thicket.
Lo, Dagaeoga, here is where the deer fell! Look at the little bushes
broken and at the dark stain on the ground where its life flowed out.
They dragged the body to the other side of the thicket, and cut it up
there. Nothing could be plainer, the traces are so numerous. They were
casual hunters, and it is not worth our while to follow them."

Northward they still pursued their course, and struck another and
larger trail which made Tayoga look grave.

"This is the path of seven or eight warriors," he said, "and it is
likely that they are a scouting party. They have come back, as we
expected, to spy upon us and to cut off stragglers from our camp. We
will follow it a little while."

It led south by west and seemed to go on with a definite purpose, but,
after a mile or so, it divided, four warriors, as Tayoga said, going
in one direction and three in the other.

"Suppose I follow those on the north a short distance while you take
those on the south," suggested Robert.

"We will do so," said Tayoga, "and in an hour come back to this
point."

The three warriors were on the north, and, as the earth was soft,
Robert saw their trail quite clearly leading steadily west by north.
His own ambition to excel as a trailer was aroused and he followed it
with great energy. Two or three times when the ground became hard and
rocky he lost it, but a little search always disclosed it again, and
he renewed the pursuit with increased zeal. He went on over a hill
and then into a wide valley, well grown with thickets. Pushing his way
through the bushes he sought the traces and was startled by a sound
almost at his shoulder. Keyed to the dangers of the forest he whirled
instantly, but it was too late. A powerful warrior threw himself upon
him, and though Robert, by a great effort, threw him off he sprang
back and another on the other side also seized him. He was borne to
the earth and a third Indian coming up, he was quickly secured.

Robert at first was so sick with chagrin that he did not think about
his life. In nine cases out of ten the warriors would have tomahawked
him, and this he soon realized, thankful at the same time that he had
been spared, for the present, at least. Yet his mortification endured.
What would Tayoga say when he saw by the trail that he had been
caught so easily? He had fairly walked into the trap, and he was now
a prisoner the second ti