at. Let us try. Why! there _is_ a canoe in it.
Hup! drive along, Ian!"

The canoe seemed to leap out of the water under the double impulse, and
next moment almost ran down another canoe which was half hidden among
the reeds. In it sat an old Indian named Peegwish, and a lively young
French half-breed named Michel Rollin. They were both well known to our
adventurers; old Peegwish--whose chief characteristic was owlishness--
being a frequent and welcome visitor at the house of Ian's father.

"You 'pears to be in one grand hurray," exclaimed Rollin, in his broken
English.

Ian at once told the cause of their appearance there, and asked if they
had seen anything of Petawanaquat.

"Yes, oui, no--dat is to say. Look 'ere!"

Rollin pushed the reeds aside with his paddle, and pointed to a canoe
lying bottom up, as if it had been concealed there.

"Ve's be come 'ere after duck, an' ve find dat," said the half-breed.

An immediate investigation showed that Petawanaquat had forsaken his
canoe and taken to the woods. Ian looked troubled. Peegwish opened his
owlish eyes and looked so solemn that Victor could scarce forbear
laughing, despite the circumstances. It was immediately resolved to
give chase. Peegwish was left in charge of the canoes. The other three
soon found the track of the Red Man and followed it up like
blood-hounds. At first they had no difficulty in following the trail,
being almost as expert as Indians in woodcraft, but soon they came to
swampy ground, and then to stony places, in which they utterly lost it.
Again and again did they go back to pick up the lost trail, and follow
it only to lose it again.

Thus they spent the remainder of that day until night put a stop to
their exertions and crushed their hopes. Then, dispirited and weary,
they returned to the canoes and encamped beside them.

Peegwish was engaged in roasting a duck when they arrived.

"What a difference between the evening and the morning," said Victor, as
he flung himself down beside the fire.

"Dat is troo, an' vat I has obsarve oftin," said Rollin, looking
earnestly into a kettle which rested on the fire.

"Never mind, Vic," said Ian heartily, "we'll be at it again to-morrow,
bright and early. We're sure to succeed in the long-run. Petawanaquat
can't travel at night in the woods any more than we can."

Old Peegwish glared at the fire as though he were pondering these
sayings deeply. As he understood little or no Eng