tainty of seeing you or
any friend, deterred me from making haste to your place."

Here Leslie gave the circumstances of his encountering Zeb, and his
subsequent misfortune, or, as he termed it, his fortune, of falling in
the gorge.

"Then Kent is gone, is he?" asked George, when he had finished. "That is
too bad, for we need his assistance greatly."

"In fact, I do not understand what we shall be able to do without him,"
added Leslie.

"Nor I; and here we are as helpless as if we were already in the hands
of the Indians, so far as regards any assistance that we can give
Rosalind," continued Leland.

"Oh, don't despair so soon. I trust that Kent will soon turn up, and we
shall then have a good chance to recover her."

"Where do you suppose that Kent can be?"

"I can only guess."

"What reason have you then for thinking that we shall meet him?"

"This reason. He saw me fall, and was obliged to leave me for a time, as
the pursuers were close at hand. I am certain that, as soon as he
eluded and escaped them, he would return to the place for me."

"And find you gone and give you up."

"No; he would search the place, and seeing my trail, would follow it. I
left a pretty plain one, and he will meet with no difficulty."

"But suppose the ranger is captured himself?"

"There is no supposition in the case," rejoined Leslie, with an air of
assurance.

"Well, admitting what you say," continued Leland, "did you leave a trail
after getting in the boat, that will be easy for him to follow?"

"Easy enough. He knows what course I would take, and, consequently, he
knows what one to pursue."

"But, even then, can he overtake you?"

"I have not come very rapidly, and I think that he can. I believe that
at this moment he is on the way."

"Well, Roland, we have probably speculated enough upon our chances of
meeting him. In the meantime, what do you propose that we do with
ourselves?"

"As to that, I am hardly decided. There is great danger in our remaining
on the river, and yet I see no means which will be so apt to bring us in
communication with Kent."

"This gliding down the Ohio in broad daylight, when we know the woods on
both sides are full of our enemies, is rather dangerous business,
although it may possess some advantages for us."

"I leave the matter with you," said Leslie. "The stream is very broad
for a considerable distance, and both of us ought to understand enough
of woodcraft to prevent running int