"Thank you," said Peabody, looking relieved. "I would go, I am sure, if
I could do any good; but I know I couldn't."

"Who will volunteer?" asked Fletcher.

"Let me go," said Tom eagerly.

"You are not afraid of losing your way, Tom?" said Miles.

"No; or if I do, I will find it again."

"That boy is more of a man now than Peabody will ever be," said Miles,
in a low voice to Ferguson.

"That he is," said the Scotchman, who was a firm friend of our young
hero. "There is the making of a noble man in him."

"I believe you."

"I have no objection to your going, Tom," said Fletcher; "but it is
better that you should have company. Who will go with the boy?"

"I," said several, among them John Miles and Henry Scott.

"You may go, Scott," said the leader. "I have work for Miles at camp.
The sooner you get started the better."

"All right, captain. Come along, Tom."

The two were in the saddle before two minutes had passed, and, guided by
the trail, struck out upon the prairie.

Scott was a tall, broad-shouldered young farmer, not over twenty-five,
strong and athletic, and reported, the best runner, wrestler, and
vaulter in the party. Tom was very well pleased to have his company.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

INDIAN CASUISTRY.

"I should like to know when the horse got away," said Scott, as he and
Tom rode on side by side; "then we could calculate how far we should
have to go before overtaking him."

"He wouldn't be likely to travel all the time, would he?" asked Tom.

"Probably not. He may have gone only a mile or two. Are your eyes good?"

"Pretty good."

"Look about, then, and see if you can anywhere see anything of the
rover."

Scott and Tom, drawing rein, looked searchingly in all directions; but
nowhere was the lost animal visible.

"Somebody may have found him," suggested Tom.

"That may be. If so, we have a harder job before us."

The prairie was not quite level, but was what is called a rolling
prairie, and this limited the view. Otherwise it would have been easy
for a person, whose sight was keen, to have distinguished an object as
large as a horse at a distance of many miles.

"Are you sure we are on the right track, Mr. Scott?" asked Tom.

"Yes, I can see by the trail."

"I can see no hoof-marks."

"Not just here; but look closely, and you will see slight marks of
disturbance in the grass. As long as these signs last we need have no
doubts as to our being on the right track."

"Th