abled an Indian to say in what
direction they had gone. We next looked out for their horses, but they
were nowhere within sight.

Some time was thus spent, and the day was drawing to a close. Should we
not find them before nightfall, we must wait until the next morning. To
have to do this was trying in the extreme, but we had to submit, as it
was so dark that we could with difficulty see our way as we returned to
the deserted camp. My poor friend Manley was dreadfully out of spirits,
but I assured him that he had no reason to blame himself. He had acted
for the best, and no man could do more.

The next morning we resumed our search; but without success. We were
both of us in despair.

"They must have taken their horses and ridden off towards the mountains;
it is useless searching for them here any longer," I said.

Manley agreed with me, and, believing that they must have gone on to the
camp by a different route from the one we had taken, he was eager to
return.

He and his men had pushed ahead through the forest while I stopped to
tighten the girths of my saddle; and when I rode forward, expecting
immediately to overtake them, I found that I had followed a different
direction from that which they had taken.

It is no easy matter, in a thick forest, to regain the right path, or to
get up with those who have once been lost sight of. I found it to be so
in the present instance. I was sure that I could not be going very far
wrong, and expected as soon as I reached the edge of the forest to see
my friends, although they might have got some little way ahead on the
open ground.

As I was riding on, I fancied that I heard the bark of a dog. I
listened, and again heard the same sound. I was now certain that the
animal was not far off. To whom could it belong? The dog was not likely
to be wandering by itself in the forest. I rode in the direction from
whence the sound proceeded, and in a short time reached a somewhat more
open part of the forest. Great was my surprise and joy to see my dear
little sister Clarice, leaning on the arm of Maysotta, who carried her
rifle in her hand, while Keokuk ran beside her.

Leaping from my horse, I sprang towards Clarice, who threw her arms
round my neck, exclaiming, "O Ralph, I am so thankful to see you! I have
been in a dreadful state of alarm and anxiety, thinking that Manley--I
mean Lieutenant Broadstreet--and his men had been killed. Maysotta has
somewhat relieved my mind. But wh