sland, of which we as yet knew nothing,
were inhabited, and that our companions had fallen into the hands of the
natives.

"Let us, in the first place, find, if possible, where they are. We can
then judge what is to be done, if indeed we can do any thing," said
Morton, "and now for the place where the tracks you speak of are to be
seen."

Grasping our weapons, which were no longer to be regarded as a useless
incumbrance, we once more proceeded up the brook, and soon reached the
piece of low ground before mentioned. We again narrowly inspected the
tracks: Morton measured them with a twig, and concluded, as we had
previously done, that these were the foot-prints of at least seven
persons--there being that number of clearly different sizes. Three of
these were without doubt the tracks of Arthur, Johnny, and Eiulo. The
impressions made by the moccasins of the two former led only in one
direction, (_from_ the stream), while those of the naked feet, (or of
some of them), were in two opposite directions. Following these tracks
eastward along the rocky ridge, we soon came to firm dry ground, where
footsteps could no longer be traced. But by a minute scrutiny, we were
still able to detect slight but decisive indications of the course of
the party whose trail we were endeavouring to follow.

In one place, a bunch of spreading ferns had been trodden down, and the
long graceful fronds bruised and broken: in another, a cluster of
crushed wild-flowers betrayed a recent footstep. A little further on,
we came to a wide, meadow-like expanse, where the grass and weeds grew
rank and tall, and through this the path of a considerable party could
be readily traced. Gradually becoming accustomed to this species of
minute investigation, as we continued carefully to practise it, we soon
grew so expert and skilful, that things very slight in themselves, and
which would ordinarily have altogether escaped notice, sufficed to guide
and direct us.

The path trodden through the meadow, led to the foot of an ascent, up
which we followed the trail slowly and with difficulty, the soil being
hard, and the vegetation scanty. On gaining the top, we found that we
had reached the eastern, or south-eastern extremity of the island, and
the sea spread before us, almost at our feet. The trail led directly
towards the edge of a steep bank, just above the shore, near which we
lost it altogether. Morton leaped down the bank some ten or twelve
feet,