'This is a terribly bad business,' Mr. Hardy began, when he and his sons had taken their seats on the ground. 'I expected it, but it is a heavy blow nevertheless.' 'Why, what is the matter, papa?' the boys exclaimed anxiously. 'Have we lost anything?' 'Yes, boys,' Mr. Hardy said; 'we have lost what is at this moment the most important thing in the world,--we have lost the trail.' Charley and Hubert uttered a simultaneous exclamation of dismay as the truth flashed across their minds. 'The trail was lost!' They had never thought of this. In the excitement of the fire, it had never once occurred to them that the flames were wiping out every trace of the Indian track. Mr. Hardy then went on, addressing himself to the others: 'Of course this fire was lit with the especial intent of throwing us off the scent. Have you any idea how far it is likely to have come?' he asked the Guachos. 'That is, are you aware of the existence of any wide stream or damp ground which would have checked it, and which must therefore be the farthest boundary of the fire?' The Guachos were silent a minute; then Perez said, 'The next stream is fifteen miles farther; but it is small, and would not stop the fire going with the wind. Beyond that there is no certain stream, as far as I know of.' 'The ground rises, and the grass gets thinner and poorer thirty miles or so on. I should say that they would light it this side of that,' Martinez said. The other Guachos nodded assent. 'We took the bearings of the track by our compass,' Farquhar said. 'Could we not follow it on by compass across the burnt ground, and hit it upon the other side?' Mr. Percy and Mr. Hardy both shook their heads. 'I do not pretend to say where the trail is gone,' the former said, 'but the one place where I am quite sure it is not, is on the continuation of the present line.' 'No,' Mr. Hardy continued. 'As you say, Percy, there it certainly is not. The Indians, when they got to some place which is probably about half across the burnt ground, turned either to the right or left, and travelled steadily in that direction, sending one or two of their number in the old direction to light the grass, so as to sweep away all trace of the trail. They may have gone to the right or to the left, or may even have doubled back and passed us again at only a few miles' distance. We have no clue whatever to guide us at present, except the certainty that, sooner or later, the Indians will make for their own camping-ground. That is the exact state of the affair.' And Mr. Hardy repeated what he had just said in Spanish to the Guachos, who nodded assent.