166 WAITING IN THE WILDERNESS 



Crandall did not allow his eyes to close. In 

 mid-afternoon he saw Indians circling and care- 

 fully searching for a trail by the brook, near 

 where he had left it. The cunning redskins exam- 

 ined the bottom of the brook for tracks; they 

 picked up some twigs and spruce needles which 

 he had broken off, then gazed excitedly into the 

 treetops. 



In vain they searched over concentric circles 

 for the trail. One Indian scaled a neighbouring 

 crag, while a second came to the base of the one 

 upon which Crandall lay. Clutching one of 

 several collected stones, he flattened himself upon 

 the top surface of the crag and waited for the 

 Indian to come up. 



But the Indian did not come, and by and by 

 all the redskins moved on and finally disap- 

 peared over a hill about a mile distant. Toward 

 evening all but one of them returned and van- 

 ished in the woods. From their actions Crandall 

 judged that they had abandoned pursuit. But 

 what had become of the other Indian? 



It was good to have a rest after eighteen strenu- 

 ous hours. Without food, and his chances of 

 escape not good, still Crandall did not doubt, 

 nor was he in the least discouraged. That he 

 might lose in this long, desperate race, never oc- 

 curred to him. 



From boyhood until the age of twenty-six 



