266 ON THE TRAIL. 



"That seems to be the situation of all of us," remarked Bob, who was in any- 

 thing but a hopeful mood. 



" I s'pose it's all in a chap's training," was the comment of Jack, who now pointed 

 to the south. 



"If you'll follow the way I'm p'inting," he explained, "you'll see a little patch 

 of jungle, covering only a few acres. It isn't far from the stream which winds close 

 to it. Now, all fix your eyes on the sky just above it, and tell me what you 

 observe." 



Thus directed, the three looked long and closely, the director once more calling 

 his binocular into use. 



"All that I notice," he said, "is the faintest possible appearance of a tiny cloud, 

 seemingly resting on the tree-tops." 



"Well," said Jack, "that cloud, that I s'pose you all now see, is what is left of 

 the smoke of a fire that was burning among them trees last night. A party of wild 

 men was there, and may be there still ; there's where we must go to look for the 

 youngster." The rest, including Pongo himself, looked admiringly at the Texan, 

 who had discerned that which was beyond their power of vision, and had read its 

 meaning aright. 



" I don't see why you didn't take his trail from the camp and follow it," said Bob, 



But Jack shook his head. 



" No living man could have done that, though I s'pose a bloodhound might. It 

 rained so hard after the youngster left that there wasn't the least sign you could 

 have counted on." 



There was something in the cool self-confidence of the cowboy which inspired 

 his friends similarly. The Bushman, though he did not speak, showed something 

 of it in the glow of his sallow face and the sparkle of his bright black eye, while 

 Mr. Godkin and Bob did not hesitate to make known their admiration. 



But, like those true scouts of the border, Jack Harvey was modest, and the 

 compliments he received rolled from him like water from a duck's back. 



Those fellows lose no time in getting down to business. Almost in the same 

 breath that Jack announced his purpose, he had turned the head of his mustang 

 down the slope and was riding, at a swift gallop, toward the patch of jungle, his 

 companions maintaining their places beside him, and asking him many questions, 

 which he willingly answered, though he kept his keen eyes fixed, almost continually, 

 on the wood, as though he suspected some new development would take place 

 before he could reach it. 



The dead body of the lion lay where it had fallen, but the horsemen did not go 

 near it, for there was no inducement to do so and time was too valuable. But that 

 glass, as it went from hand to hand, and swept the visible plain, was searching for 

 another body, which the whites dreaded to find, and which, to their inexpressible 

 relief, they did not find. 



The theory advanced by Jack Harvey was based on sound sense, though he 

 admitted that it was confronted by some grave objections. 



