Part 34 (1/2)

”He wouldn't, an' fur that reason he'd take this path,” said Tom Ross, pointing to a narrow opening in the bushes and briars.

It was evidently a trail made by animals, trodden in the course of time in order to avoid a long circuit about the thicket, but they followed it, believing that Paul had gone that way. When nearly through, Henry saw something lying in the path. He stooped and held up the stem of a rose with one or two faded petals left upon it.

”It fell out o' his coat, an' he never noticed it,” said s.h.i.+f'less Sol.

”Right, uv course,” said Tom Ross.

Not far beyond the thicket was a brook of uncommon beauty, a clear little stream bordered by wild flowers.

”Paul would stop here to drink an' look at all these here bee-yu-ti-ful scenes,” said s.h.i.+f'less Sol.

”He would,” said Henry, ”and, being terribly hungry, he would then climb that wild plum tree there beyond the oaks.”

”Might throw up a stick an' knock 'em down,” said Long Jim.

”There is no fallen wood here,” said Henry, ”and, being so ragingly hungry, Paul would not hunt for a stick. He'd s.h.i.+n up that tree at once.”

”Tree itself will show,” said Tom Ross.

”And it certainly does show,” said Henry as they looked.

Little pieces of the bark on the trunk were broken off, evidently by a heavy body as it had struggled upward. s.h.i.+f'less Sol also found two plum skins on the ground not far from the tree. The s.h.i.+ftless one held them up for the others to see.

”Now, ain't that Paul all over?” Tom Ross said. ”Knows all about how the Carthygenians fit the French, an' how the English licked the Persians, but here he goes droppin' plum skins on the groun' fur any wanderin'

warrior to see.”

”Don't you go to attackin' Paul,” said s.h.i.+f'less Sol, ”'cause Paul is a scholar like me. I ain't had the opportunities fur learnin', but I take naterally to it, 'specially history. So I kin understand why Paul, thinkin' all the time about Hannibal an' Belisarry an' all them great battles a long time ago, should throw his plum skins 'roun' loose, knowin' thar ain't no Carthygenians an' Persians about these days to see 'em.”

”Paul is sh.o.r.ely a good boy,” said Tom Ross, ”an' ef he wants to throw plum skins, he kin. Now, we've got to figger on what he'll do next.”

”Let's go to the top of that hill over there,” said Henry, ”and take a look at the country.”

The survey showed a tangled ma.s.s of forest and low hills, which seemed to be monotonously alike in every direction. They could not see the Ohio from their summit.

”I think it likely,” said Henry, ”that Paul has got lost. Maybe he has been wandering about in a circle. I heard my Indians say that one lost on the Great Plains often did that.”

”Might be a good guess,” said s.h.i.+f'less Sol. ”Let's go back to the plum tree and try to take up his trail.”

Paul's trail from the plum tree led in a northeasterly direction, and they were sure now that he was lost, as the river lay to the south. But the trail could not be followed more than twenty yards, and then they held another council.

”Bein' lost,” said Tom Ross, ”it ain't likely that he's ever got more'n two or three miles from here. Been spendin' his time goin' up an' down an' back an' forth. Ef we'd fire a rifle he might hear it.”

Henry shook his head.

”I wouldn't,” he said. ”We would be just as likely to draw the Indians upon us, and we can find him, anyhow.”

”Guess you're right,” said Tom. ”S'pose we spread out in a long line an'

go huntin' through the thickets, follerin' the general direction that his little piece of trail showed.”

The suggestion was approved, and in ten minutes a whistle from Tom Ross drew them to a central point.