48 NEW TRACKS IN NORTH AMERICA. 
rapidly without losing the trails, and yet there was not hall 4 
an hour’s daylight. For three miles farther we pressed on, 
carefully tracking our way. We passed aspot much trampled 
down and blood-stained. ‘Here the poor fellows had made & 
stand ; had probably tried to cut their way back through ther 
enemies, who were driving them from the fort. <A little 
further, and all hope of one life was gone. The mail-carriet 
lay stretched ‘upon the open plain—scalped, naked, ane 
mutilated—in the setting sun. This poor man wore whiskers 
and the savages produced even a more startling effect than 
usual by scalping one of them. Thus half of the face wal 
‘stripped of skin, and the bleeding muscles were laid bare. — 
We could not stop a moment; but, dragging up two huge 
magay plants to mark the spot, we followed the pony trac is 
The sun sank, and it was only by the red glare thrown 1 
from behind the horizon, and reflected by the bare mountain 
of rock to the east of us, that we were able to track our wal 
So difficult was it at last that we began to despair of evi 
learning the fate of poor Carrol. We longed to see his deé 
body ; for the idea of his being taken alive to be tortured a 
roasted over a slow fire, whilst the fiends danced round him 
and exulted over his agony, was the one dread consummatia 
which made our blood run cold. No one spoke, for we | : 
knew well that such would be his fate if that sun had nd 
shone upon his corpse. 7 
As we took a last searching look over the dimly light ed 9 
plain in front of us, we saw an object move slightly on 
grass. We quickly rode towards it, and in half a mile furt 
we found that it was the faithful dog of the lieutenant. 
was guarding the stiff and lifeless body of his master. So 
wrapped the naked body in a saddle-cloth, and tied it om 
horse. 
