is burden; that he, Victor, seized his
rescued brother in a tight embrace, and burst into tears of joy; that
Tony suddenly turned into Petawanaquat, and that, in the sharp revulsion
of feeling, he, Victor, seized the nose of the savage and pulled it out
to a length of three yards, twisted it round his neck and choked him,
thrust his head down into his chest and tied his arms in a knot over it,
and, finally, stuffing him into a mud-puddle, jumped upon him and
stamped him down. It was an absurd dream, no doubt, but are not dreams
generally absurd?

While engaged in the last mentioned humane operation, Victor was
awakened by Ian.

"It's time to be moving," said his comrade with a laugh. "I would have
roused you before, but you seemed to be so busily engaged with some
friend that I hadn't the heart to part you sooner."

The whole of that day they spent in a fruitless effort to detect the
footprints of Petawanaquat, either among the tracks made by the band of
Indians or among those diverging from the main line of march. In so
doing they wandered far from the camp at the lakelet, and even lost
sight of each other. The only result was that Ian and Rollin returned
in the evening dispirited and weary, and Victor lost himself.

The ease with which this is done is scarcely comprehensible by those who
have not wandered over an unfamiliar and boundless plain, on which the
clumps of trees and shrubs have no very distinctive features.

Victor's comrades, however, were alive to the danger. Not finding him
in camp, they at once went out in different directions, fired shots
until they heard his answering reply, and at last brought him safely in.

That night again they spent on the margin of the little lake, and over
the camp-fire discussed their future plans. It was finally assumed that
Petawanaquat had joined the Indians, and resolved that they should
follow up the trail as fast as they could travel.

This they did during many days without, however, overtaking the Indians.
Then the pemmican began to wax low, for in their anxiety to push on
they neglected to hunt. At last, one evening, just as it was growing
dark, and while they were looking out for a convenient resting-place,
they came on the spot where the Indians had encamped, evidently the
night before, for the embers of their fires were still smoking.

Here, then, they lay down with the pleasing hope, not unmingled with
anxiety, that they should overtake the band on t