THE SEARCH RESUMED. 257 



in the soft soil. Some of these were, of course, those 

 of himself and of his comrades ; but there were others 

 which were, from the in-toe and the make of the 

 moccasins, unmistakably those of Indians. The hunter 

 was much surprised that these had escaped his ob- 

 servation when the disappearance of the raft had at 

 first attracted attention ; but he accounted for this from 

 the circumstance of the gnawed strip of shanganappi 

 having suggested the idea of wolves being the perpe- 

 trators, which diverted his attention from the tracks in 

 the soil. 



" It's Injuns arter all," the old trapper muttered to 

 himself, as with keen eye he scanned the darkening 

 bosom of the river and the sombre depths of the woods. 



Having satisfied himself that the raft had been 

 removed by Indian agency, the wary hunter looked to 

 his rifle and pistols, and loosening his knife in its 

 sheath, he stole silently among the tree trunks and 

 directed his course up-stream. 



He kept as near the river as he judged prudent, and 

 as he opened each new reach he searched with careful 

 eye the banks on both sides for the glare of a fire or 

 any indication of an encampment. 



The twilight, however, soon yielded to the shades of 

 night ; but still the indefatigable old man held on his 

 way. 



He inferred from the foot-marks which he had de- 

 tected that the Indians were probably few in number, 

 and that as the raft was heavy, they would be unable to 



