remarked in his quiet fashion, compressing his lips and shaking his
head, while his eyes flashed with a dangerous light.

All knew what his words and manner meant, and in a twinkling the
thirteen men were in their saddles, and, with their gallant leader at
their head, galloped forth off in pursuit.

It would be supposed where the ground was covered with snow to such a
depth, that it was the easiest matter imaginable to follow the trail,
and yet Kit and his companions found it one of the most difficult tasks
they had ever undertaken. Hundreds of bison had repeatedly crossed the
tracks since they were made and less experienced eyes than those of the
trappers would have given over the search in despair.

But no one thought of turning back, and the pursuit was pushed
unflaggingly for fully forty miles. Not the first glimpse had been
obtained of the Indians, and the horses that had been pushed so hard
finally gave out. They were in poor condition, and, when the company
came to a halt, showed such exhaustion that it was evident they could
not be forced much further. It was decided, therefore, to go into camp.
Accordingly, they turned the heads of their panting animals toward a
piece of woods a short distance away.

Before the shelter was reached, the trappers were astonished to observe
a column of smoke rising above the trees. They looked in each others'
faces with a smile of gratification: inasmuch as the trail led into the
grove and it was evident a camp fire was burning there, it followed
that they were close to the thieves whom they had followed such a long
distance.

The discovery infused new warmth into the blood of the hunters, who were
fairly atremble with eagerness to attack the unsuspecting Indians.

But all were too experienced in the ways of the wilderness to allow
their impatience to betray them into any indiscretion. They deemed
it necessary their assault should be a surprise and they, therefore,
withdrew to a secluded place in the woods and waited for night.

This was trying to a painful degree. The weather which had been bitterly
cold during the day, grew still colder, until the animals shivered as if
with the ague. They were carefully tied where the trees partly sheltered
them from the cutting wind and the hunters made sure their arms were
ready. Then, when the sun went down and darkness crept over the snowy
landscape, the men moved around so as to approach the camp from the
direction opposite to that