n all night, uncomfortable, indefinitely groping for
the influence that unsettled his peace of mind. The ghost shadows in the
pines; the pattering of mysterious feet; the cries, loud and distant, or
faint and near; the whisperings, whistlings, sighings, or crashes; all
the thousand ethereal essences of day-time noises that go to make up the
Night and her silences--these he knew. What he did not know, could not
understand, was within himself. What he sought was that thing in Nature
which should correspond.

The next day at noon he returned to Dick after a more than usually long
excursion, carrying some object. He laid it before his companion. The
object proved to be a flat stone; and on the flat stone was the wet
print of a moccasin.

"We're followed," he said, briefly.

Dick seized the stone and examined it closely.

"It's too blurred," he said, at last; "I can't make it out. But th' man
who made that track wasn't far off. Couldn't you make trail of him? He
must have been between you an' me when you found this rock."

"No," Sam demurred, "he wasn't. This moccasin was pointed down stream.
He heard me, and went right on down with th' current. He's sticking to
the water all the way so as to leave no trail."

"No use trying to follow an Injun who knows you're after him," agreed
Dick.

"It's that Chippewa, of course," proffered Sam. "I always was doubtful
of him. Now he's followin' us to see what we're up to. Then, he ain't
any too friendly to you, Dick, 'count of that scrap and th' girl. But I
don't think that's what he's up to--not yet, at least. I believe he's
some sort of friend or kin of that Jingoss, an' he wants to make sure
that we're after him."

"Why don't he just ambush us, then, an' be done with it?" asked Dick.

"Two to one," surmised Bolton, laconically. "He's only got a
trade-gun--one shot. But more likely he thinks it ain't going to do him
much good to lay us out. More men would be sent. If th' Company's really
after Jingoss, the only safe thing for him is a warning. But his friend
don't want to get him out of th' country on a false alarm."

"That's so," said Dick.

They talked over the situation, and what was best to be done.

"He don't know yet that we've discovered him," submitted Sam. "My
scouting around looked like huntin', and he couldn't a seen me pick up
that stone. We better not try to catch him till we can make _sure_. He's
got to camp somewheres. We'll wait till night. Of course he'll