from watching the creeping wildcat leap upon its
prey; or else observing how the hungry wolf followed the wounded deer
over hill and through valley.

He had not been gone more than five minutes, when they plainly heard the
angry discordant note of the blue-jay.

"That means everything is lovely, and the goose hangs high," muttered
Jimmy, not daring to speak much above a whisper, while he saw Ned
keeping a wary eye in his direction.

The leader at once gave the signal for an immediate advance, and the
entire party started off. Even then, Ned and Francois, possibly Jack
also, turned from side to side, determined that they should not be taken
by surprise through any shrewd trick played by the men they had been
tracking.

Upon coming up with the dusky son of the Northern forests, they were
assured by him in a breath that all was well, and that the strangers had
swung directly into the woods, following what seemed to be a well-beaten
trail. This told the story, and went far to convince Ned that they had
nothing to fear just then through discovery by these parties.

So the Indian, backed by the other guide, was put on the trail. The boys
could have followed this with utmost ease, and even Jimmy would have
found little real trouble in keeping to that broad track.

Every once in so often, Tamasjo would stop, to get down close to the
ground. His actions excited the deepest curiosity of Jimmy, who,
pulling Ned's head close down to his own lips, asked softly:

"Now, what in the mischief is the feller doin' when he stoops low like
that? If you asked me, I'd say he was smellin' of the tracks of the
three men; but since when was a heathen Injun given a scent like a
hound, tell me, Ned."

"If you watch closer, Jimmy," replied the other scout, "you'll see that
each time he bends down he is watching some blade of grass spring back
to place; or else a small root that has been pressed down under the foot
of that giant righting itself again. He can read those signs like a
book. They tell him accurately just how long ago the foot pressed that
root or blade of grass down. And so he knows what time has elapsed since
the enemy passed along here."

"Gee! it would take me a week to learn that sort of readin' signs,"
Jimmy confessed; and Teddy, who was close enough to catch all that
passed, snickered as he muttered, as though talking to himself:

"A week? Just one little stretch of seven days? Huh! you mean a year,
rather."

Winding