It was Chip who led the way now, and eagerly pointed out
further developments in the hunt.

"Do you reckon this really is Murky we are following?" asked Paul while
Nels, tired, hungry and sleepy as well, dragged along dumbly.

"Pshaw!" exclaimed Paul, who was bent on solving the apparently
unsolvable. "Who else would it be way out here in this wilderness? We
wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Murky: Murky wouldn't be here if his
own work hadn't driven him into it. Let's go on."

And on they went, the trail growing plainer as the slough widened and
deepened. Finally they came to a fallen tree extending from one side of
the slough to the other. The scorched, blackened, rain-soaked top reached
to their side. Half way across the branches ceased and nothing but a slimy
black trunk reached to the other side. Already they were about to pass
this when Chip, who was in the lead, suddenly stopped.

"I don't see no more tracks," said he, seemingly nonplussed.

At once Nels came forward, took one look about, then pointed at a sooty
limb projecting landward from the trunk.

"W'at de matter wid dat?" he exclaimed. "She bane go dat way."

"Sure--you're right!" cried Paul, instantly comprehending. "But how will
you get across, Mr. Anderson?"

CHAPTER XV

MURKY AT BAY

Chip Slider, always willing when there was something to do, caught hold
of the limb that showed signs of recent use and swung himself up into the
top. Paul Jones followed, but Anderson shook his head as he tried to raise
his half useless arms. Without assistance he could not make it. Yet it
was evident that the fugitive Murky must have taken that road.

Meanwhile Chip, landing on the other side after a slippery passage on
the log, saw the tracks leading straight off through the woods as if
Murky well knew what he wanted and where he was going. Paul, in crossing,
noticed midway of the log certain muddy smears as if someone had either
fallen off or had climbed up on the log about midway of the slough. This
did not much impress him at the time. Hastening on to join Chip, the two
then perceived that Nels was still on the other side.

"By cripes! Anderson can't make it, Chip! We ought to have waited and
helped him over. That log's mighty slippery. Looks as if someone had
fallen off already. What had we better do?"

"Say, Paul, this trail leads right back in the direction of them rocks
where we spent last night. What do ye think of that?"

But Paul was no