tainous country spread out before him. He knew the Nez
Perces must have reached this point shortly after sunrise. He noted the
general direction of the trail as it descended the slope in front, and
accepted that as the course which the horsemen intended to follow. Then
he fixed upon the point where they would be likely to make their midday
halt. It was a clump of trees and undergrowth on the shores of a small
lake, whose waters gleamed in the sun. Paying no further attention to
the trail itself, Deerfoot set out at a swift lope for the body of
water.

CHAPTER III.

THE TRAIL NORTHWARD.

The small lake which was the destination of Deerfoot seemed to be only
two or three miles distant, but he knew it was all of twenty miles
away. Being on foot, he took the most direct course. The route of the
horses was of necessity so tortuous and difficult that it must have
been fully a half greater than the direct one. The task was so easy for
the Shawanoe that he did not lope or run, but kept up his swinging
gait, which caused him not the least fatigue. Now and then he was
forced to make a circuit around a mass of rocks, or a densely wooded
section, but these diversions were of little account. They might have
been twice as extensive and still he would not have minded them.

When near the body of water he climbed another ridge, upon whose crest
the growth of wood was slight, and took a sweeping survey of the
surrounding country. The scenery was magnificent and impressive. Far to
the northward rose a towering range of mountains, whose snowy peaks
pierced the sky and suggested enormous white clouds piled against the
horizon. To the west rose another range, one of whose summits was
loftier than any within his range of vision. Seen in the far distance,
the soft air gave it a slight bluish tint, which gradually dissolved
into fleecy whiteness toward the crest. To the eastward the landscape
was made up of ridges, elevations and valleys, with growths of pine,
cedar, oak and other species of wood. The lake's outlet was toward the
west, winding in and out among the depressions until a curve hid it
from sight fully a score of miles away.

There was a biting sharpness in the air that told of the nearness of
winter, for the month of November was come, and in that northern
latitude the rigorous season would soon set in. A whiff of air which
fanned the face of the Indian brought the chill of snow and ice in it,
while here and there the