Our two friends started at once after them.  On reaching the edge of the Clearing Teddy asked, abruptly: 

“If the haythen comes back to the cabin while we’s be gone?”

“Impossible! he cannot.”

“Spowsen he hides his track in that manner, he may take a notion to gobble up the little boy.”

“He would not dare—­”

Nevertheless, the remark of his servant alarmed the missionary, and he hesitated.  There might be foundation for what had been said.  The savage finding the pursuit too close to escape with his prey, might slay her and then return stealthily to the cabin and dispatch the boy.  It would not do to leave him alone with the Indian woman.

“I can afford little assistance in the hunt, and will remain behind.  Hurry on, Teddy, or they will be too far away for you to follow.”

The Hibernian shot off through the trees, at a rate that soon exhausted him, while Harvey Richter returned within his cabin, there to keep company with his great woe, until the return of the pursuers brought tidings of the lost one.

An Indian on the trail is not likely to permit any trivial cause to turn him aside, and the five Sioux made rapid progress so long as the light in the wood allowed them to do so.  This, however, was a comparatively short time; and, after progressing fitfully and uncertainly for several hundred yards, they finally drew up to wait until the morrow.

The trail, instead of taking the direction of the river, as the pursuers believed it would, ran precisely parallel to it.  So long as the savage kept away from the stream—­that is, so long as he did not take to a canoe—­his trail could be followed with absolute certainty, and he be overtaken beyond doubt.  Impeded by an unwilling captive, he could not avoid a rapid gain upon him by his pursuers; and to escape certain capture, he must either abandon his prey or conceal his flight by resorting to the river.

It might be, and the pursuers themselves half believed, that the fleeing Indian did not fear a pursuit by any of his own race, in which case he could make a leisurely escape, as the unpracticed white men could not have followed him for a half-mile through the wilderness.  If this were really the case, the Sioux were confident of coming up with him before the morrow’s sun should go down.

The Indians had paused but a few moments, when a great tearing and scrambling was heard, and Teddy came panting upon them.

“What be yees waiting for?” he demanded.  “Tired out?”

“Can’t go furder—­dark—­wait till next day.”

“I’m sorry that yees didn’t stand it bitter.  I can go some ways further meself if yees’ll be kind enough to show me the trail.  But, yees don’t pant or blow a bit, so I can’t think ye’re too much tired.”

“Too dark—­can’t see—­wait till sun.”

“Oh, begorrah!  I didn’t understand ye.  The Injin ‘l’ git a good start on us, won’t he though?”