Indian.

"Never ride immediately over a trail which you are following, Senor, but
close beside it, on one side or the other of it, so that the trail
itself is left quite undisturbed. One never can tell when it may be
necessary to study the trail carefully in search of some bit of
information which might easily be obliterated if it were ridden or
walked over."

Harry at once pulled his mule to one side of the trail, Arima following
it on the opposite side, and the pair pushed on, winding hither and
thither as the track of the fugitive swerved this way and that, until
they had travelled a further distance of some nine or ten miles, when
they came upon another "form", where Butler had laid himself down to
rest for--as Arima estimated--a space of about two hours. There was
nothing of importance to be learned here; they therefore pushed forward
again with all possible speed, for the sun was now rapidly declining
toward the western horizon, and Escombe was anxious to find the wanderer
before nightfall, if possible, since another night's exposure in the
keen air of that elevated plain might very well prove fatal to a man in
Butler's terribly exhausted condition.

For the last hour of the pursuit the track had led over rising ground,
and it soon became pretty evident that the fugitive had been making his
uncertain way toward a gorge between two mountains, which had gradually
been opening out ahead of the pursuers. Meanwhile the spoor had been
growing fresher with every stride of the cantering mules, showing that
the trackers were rapidly gaining upon the chase, and that the latter
was now in the very last stage of exhaustion, for the "forms" where he
had paused to rest were ever becoming more frequent and closer together.
The Indian, therefore, after attentively studying the last form which
was encountered, gave it as his opinion that the hunted man could not
now be more than a mile or two ahead, and suggested that Harry should
push straight on for the entrance of the gorge, in the hope of sighting
the fugitive and running him down, while he (Arima), with the led horse,
should continue to follow the trail, for if Butler should gain the gorge
before being overtaken, his pursuit over the rocky ground might be slow
and difficult. Accordingly, Harry turned his mule slightly aside from
the trail, and made straight for a landmark indicated by the Indian,
pressing his beast forward at its best pace. He had ridden thus about a