feet of his master. The latter, telling Lucien to follow with
the horses, struck off over the prairie.

He walked slowly, bent forward and downward, carefully observing the
ground as he went. He followed the circumference of an irregular
circle, of wide diameter--in order to keep outside the doublings which
Francois had made in his last struggle after the wearied bird, and which
had thrown the dog out. He passed several horse-trails leading various
ways. All these he examined, but none satisfied him. In this manner he
had gone half a mile around the circle, when his eye fell upon some that
seemed fresher than the rest. He sprang forward, stooping over them
with, a shout of joy, as he recognised the hoof-prints of Francois'
mustang. He knew them by a mark he had taken--where the dog had been
first set upon the trail--a small chip broken from one of the fore
hoofs. But Marengo needed not this. He was once more on the right
scent; and again started off, nose down, over the prairie.

Basil leaped into his saddle; and, waving his brother to follow,
galloped after, riding close upon the heels of the hound.

The trail did not lead in a direct line. At some places it did so for
several hundred yards--then it would turn suddenly to the right or
left--then turn again and again in zig-zag lines. Sometimes it
described the circumference of a circle and at one or two points it
recrossed itself. At these places the dog was once or twice nearly
baffled again.

They well knew the reason why the trail thus meandered about. Poor
Francois had been wandering, and knew not which way to go.

Once more the trail ran direct for a distance of two miles or more. No
doubt Francois had there kept up his resolution and ridden straight
forward; but, as Basil remarked, he had been travelling all the time
with his back to their camp! Over this part, as the trail was fresh,
the hound ran rapidly, keeping the hunters at a brisk gallop. At the
end of the stretch it again turned to the right and westward.

As they faced in this direction, the attention of the brothers was
called to the sky. _The sun was setting_!

A new feeling of apprehension came over them. They knew there was no
twilight, or next to none, on these high southern plateaux. Should it
come on a dark night, how were they to follow the dog, going as he was
upon a run? _He_ might still keep the trail and come up with Francois,
but what would be the good of that, so