tinuation of the present line.'

'No,' Mr. Hardy continued. 'As you say, Percy, there it certainly is
not. The Indians, when they got to some place which is probably about
half across the burnt ground, turned either to the right or left, and
travelled steadily in that direction, sending one or two of their number
in the old direction to light the grass, so as to sweep away all trace
of the trail. They may have gone to the right or to the left, or may
even have doubled back and passed us again at only a few miles'
distance. We have no clue whatever to guide us at present, except the
certainty that, sooner or later, the Indians will make for their own
camping-ground. That is the exact state of the affair.' And Mr. Hardy
repeated what he had just said in Spanish to the Guachos, who nodded
assent.

'And in which direction do the Guachos believe that their camping-ground
lies?' Mr. Jamieson asked after a pause; 'because it appears to me that
it is a waste of time to look for the trail, and that our only plan is
to push straight on to their villages, which we may reach before they
get there. And in that case, if we found them unguarded, we might seize
all their women, and hold them as hostages until they return. Then we
could exchange them for Ethel; and when we had once got her, we could
fight our way back.'

'Capital, capital!' the other English exclaimed. 'Don't you think so,
papa?' Hubert added, seeing that Mr. Hardy did not join in the general
approval.

'The plan is an admirably conceived one, but there is a great difficulty
in the way. I observed yesterday that the trail did not lead due south,
as it should have done if the Indians were going straight back to their
camping-ground. I questioned the Guachos, and they all agree with me on
the subject. The trail is too westerly for the camping-grounds of the
Pampas Indians; too far to the south for the country of the Flat-faces
of the Sierras. I fear that there is a combination of the two tribes, as
there was in the attack upon us, and that they went the first day in the
direction which would be most advantageous for both; and that, on
reaching their halting-place,--perhaps twenty or thirty miles from
here,--they made a division of their booty, and each tribe drew off
towards its own hunting-grounds. In this case we have first to find the
two trails, then to decide the terrible question, which party have taken
Ethel?'

Again the Guachos, upon this being translated to