Some two hours from their leaving the ravine, they came to the dark pass, where we have seen the meeting between the two Indian parties. Here our pursuers halted a few minutes to examine the ground, and form conjectures as to what had taken place--in doing which, all paid the greatest deference to the opinions and judgment of Boone, who was looked upon by all who knew him as a master of the woodman's craft. After gazing intently for some time at the foot prints, Boone informed his companions that another party had been in waiting, had been joined by the others, and that all had proceeded together down the stream; and moreover, that there was an addition of white prisoners, one of which was a child. This caused a great sensation among his listeners--many of whom had lost their relatives, as the reader already knows--and Hope, the cheering angel, which hovers around us on our pathway through life, began to revive in each breast, that the friends they were mourning as dead, might still be among the living, and so made them more eager than ever to press on to the rescue. At the river's bank, the sagacious Caesar discovered another piece of ribbon--dropped there as the reader knows by Ella--which he carried in triumph to his master, and received in turn a few fond caresses. "Here," said Boone, as himself and companions entered the streamlet, whose clear, bright waters, to the depth of some three inches, rolled merrily over a smooth bed, with a pleasing murmur: "Here, lads, I reckon we'll have difficulty; for the red varmints never enter a stream for nothing; and calculating pretty shrewdly they'd be followed soon, no doubt they've taken good care to puzzle us for the trail. Ef it be as I suspect, we'll divide on the other side, and a part o' us go up, and a part down, till we come agin upon thar track. But then agin," added Boone, musingly, with a troubled expression, "it don't follow, that because they entered the stream they crossed it; and it's just as likely they've come out on the same side they went in; so that we'll have to make four divisions, and start on the sarch." Accordingly on reaching the other shore, and finding the trail was lost, Boone divided the party--assigning each his place--and separating, six of them recrossed the stream; and dividing again, two, headed by Isaac, went up, and two, led by Henry Millbanks, went down along the bank; while Boone and Seth Stokes, with the rest, proceeded in like manner on the opposite side; and the dog flew hither and yon, to render what service he could also. For something like a quarter of an hour not the least trace of the savages could be found, when at last the voice of Isaac was heard shouting: "I've got it--I've got it! Here it is, jest as plain and nateral as cornstalks--Hooray!" In a few minutes the whole company was gathered around Isaac, who pointed triumphantly to his discovery.