The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-05-09

eve shall be led away from the chase He
takes too muck pains 10 show us which way
he has gone"
"You are right" said Edgar s'for ne
has passed here since sunrise, and his horsd
was as fresh as when he left the proye.,.
The water is all brushed from his trucks,
but is not disturbed between. Well not
follow him." -.sf,H
And, without further consultation, q he
sprang again to the saddle, and resumed
bis original direction--ysf n Sindeea,
rather from Than toward the xoii iitafr SsiL
Those little indications---Iike circumstarisial
evidencc-morc convincing than positive
declarations, or more apparent signs, salts.
fed him that this was an attempt to draw
him Off He smiled at the shallowness of the
deceit and rode away. His companions
understood his reasoning almost instructive.
ly. The fact that the grass was dry in the
tracks, proved that they had been made
since sunrise; because the dew must have
ceased to drip from one blade to another,
and its being undsturbed between estab.
liShed the fire. ness of the Indians horse.
because every bound was clear spring
from the ground Fifteen minutes brought
them to the outskirts of Cahokia timber :;
and, after rigid examination of this,
they issued again upon the prairie tow
ard the West, maintaining the same course.
They were now approaching more dense
ly wooded country. The prairics grew mar
rover ard were broken, here and there, by
groves and strips of timber, along the banks
of numerous little streams. The ground
became uneven, in places even hilly; and
every thing denoted tho approach to the
Mississippi. This continued for about three
hours, during which they had made scarce
ly tivc miles an hour it was noon, too, and
tho September sun was pouring upon their
heads the overpowcring heat of the season.
A halt became necessary. both for men and
horses. Edgar rode within the shelter of
the timber, and dismountcd on the bank of
shallow stream-the first they had seen
with gravclly bed.
"We must rest awhile, boys" he said,
"and recruit our horses, or We shall break
down before night"
His companions followed his example
ant all Ted 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, arrcstins the
others in the same manner, pointed to the
bottom of the rivulet
SIS not that horses track ?" he asked,
indicating the spot with his rifle.
eyes" said White, "and here are more
And here, to the left, they are palmer, and
moro numerous. Our visitors must have
passed this way, and arc not going to the
Portage !'
The tracks were but faint prints in the
shifting gravel of the stream and to the
eyes of less observant men, would have been
quite void of meaning. 1t was, however,
the peculiar faculty of Western Rangers
never to overlook anything and their at
tcntion once attracted, but few moments
were consumed in determining that fifteen
or twenty horsemen had ridden along the
bed of the stream that they were Indians,
and travelling in haste. 1t might Seem
more difficult matter to fix, even approx
matcly, the length of time which had
elapsed since their passage but the inven-
tion of rangers was seldom at fault.
George" said tie captain to Fielding,
"gct on your horse, and ride up the stream
few rods-as fast as he can walk-in
among those tracks"
Fielding obeyed; and turning out of tho
stream short distance above, came back
and dismounted. The little party now
stripped their horses of their harness and
pickctinS them upon the sweet hcrbage,
stretched themselves upon the sward at the
margin of the stream. AS soon as the agi-
tation in the waters had ceased, Edgar fixed
his gaze upon the ootprints-plainly visi-
blc-of Ficlding's horse, and watched the
gradual process of their filing up by the
current. Scarcely pebble or grain of
sand was washed into one of them, that he
did not note; scarcely minute passed
whose influence he did not estimate in
slowly obliterating the trail; and when, at the
end of an hour, he rose and walked nearer
to the water, but few moments of scruti.
ny were sufficient to determine how long it
would be before the new tracks were as
nearly filled up, as were the old when he
saw them first.
''They are quite six hours ahead of us"
he said; land tomorrow night will see
them, before VIC will"
"Thcy must be making for the ford*
above the Piasan Bluff" said White land
if go, will not cross the Mississippi"
"That is rather too far north" Edgar re-
piled; but we will follow them, if they 20
to the Starved Rock"
So saying, he threw the saddle again up.
on his horse, and-imitated by his compan
ions -remounted for the pursuit.
81 think, George" said he, after o min
ute's reflection, 'you had better ride on tc
the Portage the men will all be there by
| hn mid IL e al n. N