f he really was. Hang him! it's just the
business that suits him. But Lew ought to know enough for him."

"Every man is a fool when he is in love," said O'Hara, contemptuously,
"and that's the reason why I'm pretty certain both of 'em are in
trouble. If he wasn't in love with the gal, he might know what to do;
but--oh! heavens," he added, unable to find words to express his
disgust at his leader betraying such a weakness.

"I s'pose we'll hunt as we did yesterday?"

"Of course. Let's go at it at once."

O'Hara returned to the creek and resumed his search along the banks,
while Dick took to the woods as before. A half-hour later, a whistle
from the former called him to the stream, where he found his friend
bending over some "sign" that he had discovered in the soft earth of
the shore.

"It's his," said O'Hara, "as sure as you live. They spent the night on
the other side of the creek, and he has carried her across the next
morning, and taken to the woods at this point."

"We can easily tell the direction he has taken, then."

"Not so easy, either; for don't you see he has gone _up_ the creek,
which ain't toward home. I tell you what it is, Lew has smelled danger,
and if the red-skins have catched him, there's been some splendid fun
afore they done it. Lew ain't such a fool, after all."

"Do you think," asked Dick, in a low tone, for he entertained a strong
affection for his leader, "Do you think it is _certain_ Lew has been
catched?"

"NO SIR," replied O'Hara, in tones so loud that they woke an echo
through the woods. "It ain't certain by no means. He may have thought
it best to make a long circle before reaching home, and like enough he
is in the settlement this minute, or very near there. But I guess not,"
he added, after a minute's pause, and in a different voice. "Things
look dubious, and we may have a big job before us."

"Let's go to work at once."

"The first sensible words you've spoken this morning, when it seems
we're both doing more talking than is necessary. Come on."

The trail was followed with the greatest difficulty, for the time which
had elapsed since it was made was almost sufficient to obliterate it
entirely. Now and then, where the ground was more favorable, it was
easily discernible. After progressing a mile or so, O'Hara exclaimed,
with an air of perplexity:

"There is something here that I don't understand. I've seen only _the
track of one person up to this time_."

"She isn't wit