ing; and Harry and I started out upon the tracks of a brace of elk
that had passed through our opening during the night. The tracks were
very fresh-looking; and it was evident that the animals had passed in
the morning, just before we were up. We concluded, therefore, that they
had not gone far off, and we hoped soon to come up with them.

"The trail led us along the side of the lake, and then, up the left bank
of the stream. Castor and Pollux were with us; but in our hunting
excursions we usually led them in a leash, so that they might not
frighten the game by running ahead of us.

"When about half a mile from the house, we found that the elk had
crossed to the right bank of the stream. We were about to follow, when,
all at once, our eyes fell upon a most singular track or tracks that led
off in the direction of the woods. They were _the tracks of human
feet--the feet of children_!

"You may fancy the surprise into which we were suddenly thrown. They
were about five inches in length, and exactly such as would have been
made by a barefooted urchin of six years old. There appeared to be two
sets of them, as if two children had passed, following one another on
the same trail. What could it mean? After all, were there human beings
in the valley besides ourselves? Could these be the footprints of two
young Indians? All at once I thought of the Diggers--the _Yamparicos_--
the root-eaters,--who are found in almost every hole and corner of the
American Desert. Could it be possible that a family of these wretched
creatures existed in the valley? `Quite possible,' thought I, when I
reflected upon their habits. Living upon roots, insects, and
reptiles,--burrowing in holes and caves like the wild animals around
them,--a family, or more, might have been living all this time in some
unexplored corner of the valley, without our having encountered any
traces of them! Was this really so? and were the tracks before us the
footmarks of a brace of young Diggers, who had been passing from point
to point?

"Of course, our elk-hunt was given up until this mystery should be
solved; and we turned off from the trail of the latter to follow that of
the children.

"In coming out to an open place, where the snow lay smoothly, and the
footprints appeared well defined, I stooped down to examine them more
minutely, in order to be satisfied that they _were_ the tracks of human
feet. Sure enough, there were the heels, the regular w