could be no mistake about it,--pocket-book and money, and horse
and buggy, were gone with Radcliff.

"He has taken the road to Chicago," said Jack, easily tracking the
wheels after the recent rain. "But he'll find it not so easy selling the
horse there a second time."

"But he'll spend all that money," said Rufe. "He'll find it easy enough
to do that."

"I wish it wasn't night," said Jack. "I would track him! And I will as
it is. Have you a lantern?"

"Yes--I'll go with you! Shall we take the mare and one-horse wagon?"

"If you like. But, Rufe, if you go with me, you'll have to travel all
night. I am on the war trail!"

"I'm with you!" said Rufe; and he gave an Indian war-whoop.

Mr. Betterson, coming up, approved of this resolution. "And, boys," he
said, "if you _should_ lay hands on Radcliff, you may as well bring him
back with you. We'll try to have a more satisfactory settlement with him
this time."

Jack left his friends to harness the mare to the wagon, and went on
alone, with Lion and the lantern, up through the woods.

For a while he had no trouble in following the fresh marks of hoofs and
wheels over the wet ground. But when he reached the prairie, an
unforeseen difficulty appeared. The rain had not extended so far, and
the tracks were not easily distinguished.

It was nearly dark when Rufe, following in the wagon, emerged from the
woods. Lonesome and gloomy stretched the great prairie before him, under
a sky of flying clouds. The insects of the autumn night filled the air
with their shrill, melancholy notes. An owl hooted in the forest; a pair
of whippoorwills were vociferating somewhere in the thickets; and far
off on the prairie the wolves howled. Now and then a rift of dark blue
sky and a few wildly hurrying stars were visible through the flocking
clouds. No other light, or sign of life, until Rufe descried far before
him in the darkness a waving, ruddy gleam, and knew it was the ray from
the lantern swinging in Jack's hand.

Driving on as fast as the mare's somewhat decrepit paces would allow, he
found Jack waiting for him at a point where the road divided, one branch
taking a northerly direction, the other trending easterly, toward the
great road to Chicago.

"Here's a puzzle," said Jack, as Rufe drove up. "I've tracked the fellow
as far as here, notwithstanding he has tried the trick of driving off on
the prairie in two or three places. But here, instead of taking the
direct road to Chicag