ccupied a score
of seconds, and he could not in the time have gone out of sight.

He was still running between myself and the foot of the hill--apparently
keeping along the bank of the stream.

I put the Indian horse to his full speed. The point of my knife served
for whip and spur. I was no longer encumbered with the spear; it had
been left in the body of Hissoo-royo.

I kept my eyes fixed upon the steed, but he was fast closing in to the
timber that skirted the base of the hill; he was nearing the bend where
I had taken to the water, and would soon be hidden from my view behind
the bushes.

All at once I saw him swerve, and strike away to the left, across the
open plain. To my surprise I saw this, for I had conjectured that his
rider was aiming to reach the cover offered by the thicket.

Without waiting to think of an explanation, I headed the mustang into
the diagonal line, and galloped forward.

I was in hopes of getting nearer by the advantage thus given me; but I
was ill satisfied with the creeping pace of the Indian horse so unlike
the long, free stretch of my matchless Moro. Where was he? Why was I
not bestriding him?

The white steed soon shot clear of the hill, and was now running upon
the plain that stretched beyond it.

I saw that I was not gaining upon him; on the contrary, he was every
moment widening the distance between us. Where was Moro? Why had he
been taken away?

At that instant I perceived a dark horseman making along the foot of the
ridge, as if to intercept me; he was dashing furiously through the
thicket that skirted the base of the declivity. I could hear the bushes
rattling against the flanks of his horse; he was evidently making all
the haste in his power, at the same time aiming to keep concealed from
the view of those upon the plain.

I recognised my horse, and upon his back the thin lank form of the
earless trapper!

We met the moment after, at the point where the thicket ended.

Without a word passing between us, both simultaneously flung ourselves
to the ground, exchanged horses, and remounted. Thank Heaven! Moro was
at last between my knees!

"Now, young fellur!" cried the trapper, as I parted from him, "gallip
like hell, an kitch up with her! We'll soon be arter on yur trail--all
right thur. Away!"

I needed no prompting from Rube; his speech was not finished, before I
had sprung my horse forward, and was going like the wind.

It was only then that I cou