The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-10-23


lhirs That VIC must contiime the chase,
/ Several hours passed awa,p,esrine
which they had crossed the belts OF
timber which grow upon the banks OF
two or three prairie streams; when,
lappGoacling one of the Cahokia, they
suddenly found themselves upon the
trail Of a single horscman. Keeping
laway from the timber, it stretched to.
ward, tho north, parallel with the
course of the stream, disdaining tile
concealment which might have been
found i'm the wood The three drew
up and Edgar dismounted
ut is the same Indian who hndled
the fire." he said, after short scru.
tiny of the track. what think your
THAT if we follow him" White re-
piled, ''we shall be led away from the
chase. He takes too much pains to
show us which way he has gone,
"You are right SAID Edgar; "for
he has passed here since sunrise, and
his horse was as fresh as when he left
the grove. The water Is all brushed
from his tracks, but is not disturbed
between. Wen not follow him
And with further consultation, he
sprang again TO the saddle, and re-
Islmcd his original dircction--yerging
indeed rather from than toward, the
solitary trial. Those little indica-
Itions--like circumstantial evidence
more convincing than positive declar-
ations or more apparent signs, salts
fed him that this was an attempt To
draw him off. lie smiled at the shall
lowncss of the deceit, and rode away.
His companions understood his reas
oning almost instinctivcly. The fact
that the grass was dry in the tracks,
proved that they had BEEN made
since sunrise; because tho dew must
have ceased To drip from one blade to
another, and its being undislurbed
between, established the freshness OF
the Indians horse, because every
bounnd was q clear spring from thc
ground. Fifteen mInutcs brought
them to the outskirts of the Choltia
timber; and, after a rigid examination
OF this, they issued again upon the
prairie toward the West, maintaining
the same course.
They were now approaching more
densly wooded country. The prairie
grew more narrow, and was broken
here and there 10y groves and strips
Of timber, along the banks Of numer-
ous little streams. The ground be-
came uneven, in places even hilly;--
and everything denoted the vicinity
Of the Mississippi. This confinucd
for about three hours, during which
they had made scarcely five les an
hour; it was noon, too, and the Sep
tcnber sun was pouring upon theil
heads the oyerpowering heat Of the
seasCn. a halt became necessary
both for men and horses. Edgar rode
within the shelter of the timber, and
dismountel on the banks of shallow
stream--the first they had seen with q
gfayclly bed
1--WE must rest awhile, boys he
said, and recruit our horees--or we
shall bread down before night
lis companions followed his eX.
ample, and all lead their painting horses
to the stream, to drink Of its clear,
sparkling waters. But Edgar drew
his back suddenly, before he had
touched the tide; and, arfesling the
others in the same manner, pointed to
the bottom of the nvulet
"Is not that Il horses track he
asked, indicating the spot with his ri
ne.
YES" said White. sand here are
more; and here to the left they art
palmer and more numerous. Ouryis
itors must have passed this way, anc
are not going to the Portage
The tracks were but faint prints n
the shifting gravel of the stream; ans
to the eyes of less obscryant meh
would have been quite void Of mean
ing. II was, however, the peculiar
faculty Of Western Rangers, never t,
overlook anything; and their attentiol
once attracted, but n few moment
was CONSUMED IN determining that iii
teen or twenty horscmca had rilde'
along the bed Of the stream; that the.
were Indians, and travelling in haste
Il might seem q more difficult matte
to fix, even approximately, the lcngt
Of time which had elapsed since thei
passage; but the invention Of Ranger
were seldom mt fault
George said the Captain 10 Field
, ing, "gct on your horse, and ride M
the stream few rods. as fac; as u
can walk, in among those tracks,
Fielding obcycd; and turning ou
Of the stream, q short distance abOy
came back and dismounted. The paI
ty now unsaddled their horses, nm
picketing them upoa the sweet herl
age, stretched themselves rpon th
: sward at the margin Of the stream, =
y As soon as the eagiration Of the water
= had ceased, Edgar GNed his gaze NJ
on the footprints plainly visible
. of Fielding horse, and watched th
" gradual process OF their filing up l.
the current. Scarcely aminute pae'
led whose inluepca he did not est
/. Innate ia slowly oblitUating the trai
. and when at the end Of on hoar a
|" arose and walked nearer tho waite
!, but Il few moments OF scrutiny wer
- sufficient To determine how long
:. would be before the new tracks wel
' as nearly filled up IS were the ol
=