268 ON THE TRAIL. 



Jack's explanation, or rather theory, was that the youngster had not held such 

 belief, but, having caught the glimmer of another light than that of his friends, he 

 had been led by his own curiosity to go forward and investigate, and, having done 

 that, he had fallen into the hands of savages. 



This presupposed a thoughtlessness on the part of Dick Brownell that was the 

 main obstacle to the theory. Indeed, it could not, in the nature of things, be satis- 

 factory to those who knew him so well, but who of necessity were compelled to 

 hold the supposition until some proof of its falsity should present itself. 



Having reached the piece of jungle, it was easy to locate the site of the encamp- 

 ment held there only a few hours before. There were the ashes, bones and rem- 

 nants, such as always mark the scene of such a halt. 



Jack Harvey was out of his saddle before his mustang came to a halt, and, stoop- 

 ing down, scrutinized the ground with a keenness of vision which no one of his 

 company could equal, though Pongo came the nearest to it. He, like Mr. Godkin 

 and Bob, engaged in the same effort, no one speaking, and often glancing slyly at 

 Jack, to see how he was making out. 



As at the time when all were investigating the cause of the raft lying against the 

 river bank, he moved entirely around the spot where the fire had been kindled, so 

 that not a square inch of the circuit escaped him. 



Almost at the moment he completed this task, which took several minutes, since 

 he walked slowly, in a bent posture, he suddenly straightened up and exclaimed: 



" Dick came to this spot, and was captured by wild men ! " 



