Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-01-10


b;re which had elapsed since their pas
,oate; but the invention of rangers was
- dom at fault
\ George said the captain to Field
,ro5, "get on your horse and ride up the
heam few rods-as fast as he can walk
in among those tracks,
u, Fielding obcyed; and turning out of
ne stream short distance above, came
ck and dismounted. The little party
pw stripped their horses of their harness
nd picketing them upon the sweet her.
Eage, stretched themselves upon the
II ward at the margin of the stream. AS
\ zbon as the agitation in the waters had
y deased, Edgar fixed his gaze upon the
+ oot-prints-plainly visible-of Fielding's
horse, and watched the gradual process
l 'f their filling up by the current. Scarce
BY apebblc or grain of sand was washed
|Anto one of them, that he did not note
scarcely minute passed whose influence
the did not estimate, in slowly obliteraiing
1.-THE trail; and when, at the end of an
hour, he rose and walked nearer to the
water, but few moments of scrutiny
were sufficient to determine how long it
would be before the new tracks were as
nearly filed up, as were the old when he
first saw them.
"They are quite six hours ahead of
u.s." he said; "and tomorrow night will
see them, before we will"
"They must be making for the ford*,
above the Piasan Bluffs" said White ;;
"and if so, will not cross the Mississip-
pi."
That is rather too far north," Edgar
replied but we will follow them, if they
90 to the Starved Rock"
So saying, he threw the saddle again
upon his horse, and - initiated by his
companions--remounted for the pursuit
Il think, George" said he, after a
minutes reflection, "you had better ride
on to the Portage; the men will all be
there by the middle of the afternoon.
Tell them to bait their horses for an hour,
and then follow US with all speed, so as to
join us at the mouth of the Illinois by
sunrise tomorrow. Unless the trail
should lead us too much out of the way,
we Wnl walt Tor them there. Ii you do
not find us there, look for three columns
of smoke, ranging north and south, and
and make all haste TO come up"
Fielding made no reply; but putting
spurs to his horse, turned his head to the
west, and was soon out of sight-while
Edgar and White, now left alone, took
their way as rapidly as was possible up
the banks of the stream 1t was small
force with which to attack twenty savages;
but had the odds been ten times greater,
Edgar's eagerness and Whites zeal would
have felt no check. What they might
not effect by the strong hand, they trusted
to stratagem to compass; and even the
savage was no match for the ranger, in
cunning.
The two Adventures had gone scarcely
a mile, when they were brought sudden
ly to halt. The trail was about equally
divided-one-half the party keeping up
the bed of the stream, and the other half
issuing toward the left, and leading off
westward. This was embarrassing. The
prisoner could not be with both divisions
and it was extremely difficult to deter
mine which to follow.
I'VE are at fault said Edgar.
There is sign which may set us
right exclaimed White, pointing to a
little strip of some white stuff which fut-
tered upon bush, but a few PAGES from
the water. The briars have befriended
us at need
Edgar rode rapidly to the place. A
narrow strip-evidently torn from James
bridal dress-hung huttering upon al
briar, as if caught in passing. He halt
ed at the distance of several yards, and
cautiously approached on foot, closely
scrutinizing the ground at every step
The horses had passed, without doubt,
near enough to brush against the brars
but directly beneath the fragment, small
dry twig was broken, and the leaves
about it were fattened to the ground.
a moccassined foot has been set
there, he muttered. And on directing
the examination to the fragment, his sus-
picion was confrmed-that it was not
accident, but design which placed it
there.
They are trying to outwit us, White,
said the captain but they don't know
with whom they have to deal. This lit
tie piece of muslin is Redskin lie
though it did come from Jane Fielding's
l. IL. 4