The Lost Trail

s confirm her fl

ay you, stay no

u presently.

if he were deliberating some matter with himself. Occasionally he muttered and shook his head, in a manne

t to her husband already for three months. It's ongenerous, and can't be done!" he exclaimed, emphatically. "What if I does lose a

wly and thoughtfully as be

no calc'latin' the blunders of such a man. How he has saved his own scalp to this time is more nor I can tell, or himself neither, fo

s a monitor that is heeded. He was tramping toward the west, and now that the matter was decided in his own mind, he p

old me of his travels, it can't be that she's anywhere in these parts, for if she war, he couldn't have helped l'arning something of her in all this time. T

e was walking rapidly along in a northern direction, his rifle thrown over his arm, and a beaming expression of countenance that showed there were no regrets at the part he was acting. He had

ver made trapping beavers. The time I cotched that little gal down on the Osage, that had been lost all summer, I thought her mother would eat me up afore she'd le

he saw the unmistakable imprint of a moccasin. A single

tled. That track wasn't made there more nor two hours ago, and it's pretty sartin the one that made it ain't fur away at this time. It

and certainty of a hound. Over the dry leaves, the pebbly earth, the fre

agin. If it keeps in this direction much longer, I'll believe he's fro

an snuffing the air, as though it w

in't a camp-fire within two hund

t saw nothing of the camp, although positive th

eal most likely that it's red, and it's just about as sartin that that Injin

he suddenly came in full view of the camp-fire. He saw three Indians seated around it, smoking, and appearing as if they had just finished their morning meal. It seemed, also, as if they were discussing some matter that deeply interested all. The mumbling of their voices could b

e was a dull thump, not very loud, it is true, but he feared it had reached the ears of the savages. He lay motionless, listening for a while, but hearing nothing of their voices or footsteps, he

indurated muscles demanded no rest; he could go a couple of days without nourishment, and experience little inconvenience.

fish or two from their element, but he had set his heart upon partaking of a bird, and was not willi

r had searched but a short distance, when he caught sight of a single ptarmigan under the opposite bank. In a twinkling Tim's rifle was r

elt a distaste toward exposing himself to its chilling clasp. Some distance below he noticed the creek narrowed and made a curve. At this point he hoped to draw it in shore with a stick, and he lost no time in hurrying to the point. Arrived there, t

float within a foot, at least, of this. Tim's eyes happened to be fixed intently upon it at this moment, and, at the very instant it

lready sighted at the point where he was confident the body of the thief must be concealed, when a second though

ion. The trapper was in no mood to put up with the loss of his dinner, and he considered it rather a point of honor that he should bring the offending savage to justice.

de his way down the bank, to where the Indian had first manifested his presence. Here the keen ey

, with his long, loping, rapid walk. It happened to lead straight to t

d an encounter, and he was no foe to be despised in a hand-to-hand contest. The trapper was in that mood that he would not have hesitated to encounter two of t

l led directly into this, so he followed without hesitation. Before doing so, he took the precauti

up to his armpits, and he was feeling every foot of the way as he advanced, he chanced by accident to raise his head

his crown and bury itself in the bank beyond. The next instant the trapper dashed through the water, re

o close that he could hear the fugitive as he fled, but the nature of the ground prevented rapid pro

I'll chase you up the north pole. You've stole my dinner, and tried t

er found it was himself that was really losing ground, and he sullenly came down to a walk again. Still, he held to the tr

exultingly forward and picked it up. It was unharmed by the Indian, and he looked upon it

en continue his search for his human game. In order to enjoy his dinner it was necessary to have it cooked, and he busi

be prepared for the Indian in case he chose to come back. He discovered no

cutting a piece with his hunting-knife, was in the very act of placing it in his mouth, when the sharp crack of a rifle b

dying man. "I am wiped out

f Tim, the trapper, discovering wha