all the time looking wildly about in the hope of seeing the returning
mother.

"CORA! CORA!" he again called in agonized tones, but the woods gave
back only the hollow echo. For a few moments he was fairly beside
himself; but, at the end of that time, he began to reason more calmly.
He attempted to persuade himself that she might return, but it was
useless; and with a sort of resigned despair, he looked about him for
signs of the manner in which she was taken away.

The most convincing evidence was not wanting. The ground was trampled
and torn, as if there had been a violent struggle; and, inexperienced
as were his eyes, he detected the unmistakable impress of a moccasin
upon the soft earth, and in the grass. The settle, too, was overturned
and the baby lay in the grass as if tossed there by the act of some
other arm, than a mother's.

CHAPTER VI.

THE LOST TRAIL.

"'Twas night--the skies were cloudless blue,
And all around was hushed and still,
Save paddle of the light canoe,
And wailing of the whippowill."

On that sunny afternoon, the fish in a particular locality of a
tributary of the Mississippi did not take the bait very well. The spot
to which we refer was that immediately surrounding Teddy, whose
patience was well-nigh exhausted. There he sat for several tedious
hours, but had secured only two nibbles at his line, neither of which
proved to be anything more.

"Begorrah, but it must be they'se frightened by meself, when that ould
scalliwag give me a fling into the stream. Jabers! _wasn't_ it done
nately. Hallo! there's a bite, not bigger, to be sure, than a lady's
fut, but a bull-pout it is I know."

He instantly arose to his feet, as if he were about to spring in the
water, and stood leaning over and scanning the point where his line
disappeared in the stream, with an intense interest which the
professional angler alone can appreciate. But this, like all others,
proved a disappointment, and he soon settled down into his waiting but
necessary attitude of rest.

"A half-hour more of sunshine, and then these same pants will be the
same as if they've niver saan water, barring it's mighty seldom they
have or they wouldn't be in this dirty condition. Arrah! what can be
the m'aning of that?"

Faintly but distinctly through the long stretch of woods came the
sound of his name. It was repeated again and again until the Irishman
was convinced beyond all possibility of mistake.

"