them, expressed their
perfect accordance with Mr. Hardy's views, and some surprise at his
ideas having been so identical with their own upon the subject.

As for the six young men, they were too dismayed at the unexpected
difficulties which had started up in their way to give any opinion
whatever. This uncertainty was terrible, and all felt that it would have
a most depressing effect upon themselves and upon the whole expedition;
for how could they tell, after journeying for hundreds of miles, whether
every step might not take them farther from the object of their search?

In this state of depression they remained for some minutes, when Perez
the Guacho said, in his broken English, 'Most tribe take most plunder,
most cattle, most sheep,--take girl.'

'Well thought of, Perez!' Mr. Hardy exclaimed warmly. 'That is the clue
for us, sure enough. As you say, the tribe who has furnished most men
will, as a matter of course, take a larger share of the booty; and
Ethel, being the only captive, would naturally go to the strongest
tribe.'

The rest were all delighted at this solution of a difficulty which had
before appeared insuperable, and the most lively satisfaction was
manifested.

The plans for the day were then discussed. Propositions were made that
they should divide into two parties, and go one to the right and the
other to the left until they arrived at unburnt ground, the edge of
which they should follow until they met. This scheme was, however, given
up, as neither party would have seen the trail inspected by the other,
and no opinion could therefore be formed as to the respective magnitude
of the parties who had passed,--a matter requiring the most careful
examination and comparison, and an accurate and practised judgment.

It was finally resolved, therefore, to keep in a body, and to proceed,
in the first place, to search for the trail of the party to the south. A
calculation was made, upon the supposition that the Indians had
travelled for another twenty-five miles upon their old course, and then
separated, each party making directly for home. To avoid all mistakes,
and to allow for a detour, it was determined to shape a direct course to
a point considerably to the east of that given by the calculation, to
follow the edge of the burnt ground until the trail was arrived at, and
then to cut straight across, in order to find and examine the trail of
the western Indians.

As this conclusion was arrived at, the