Part 42 (1/2)

Jack, however, as we shall see, waswas much more travelled than below; and for a while the boys found it very difficult to ain fortune favored the here!” said Jack, exa the road where it entered the skirts of the ti the path of the ind again”

They passed through a belt of woods, where the store; for it was a peculiarity of that elephant of a cloud that it appeared to draw up its destroying trunk once or twice, and skip over a few reater fury

The road was now drenched all the way, and the trail they folloas so distinct that the boys did not stop to an to appear before they ell through the woods

They ress up the valley, until they ca course, was crossed by the road

There, again, the tornado had done a brisk business; the bridge was destroyed, the side of the road gullied, and the river swollen

Both boys alighted and examined the track

”Here is where he stopped and hesitated, finding the bridge gone,” said Jack ”And see! here are his own tracks, as if he had got out of the buggy and gone ahead to reconnoitre”

”As well he ht,” Rufe answered ”Look at these tree-tops, and the tied in the h, and I guess we can,” said Jack ”I've forded this streae, before nohen I've wanted to water my horse; but it was free from all this sort of rubbish then

There reat fall of rain up here!”

CHAPTER xxxVII

THE MYSTERY OF A PAIR OF BREECHES

Jack went out with the lantern upon the ruined abute, and showed a space beside the drift-wood, in the turbid and whirling current, where fording seeain, and the ht which the lantern shed faintly before and around the loud, like a faithful pilot showing the safest way The wheels went in over the hubs; the water caon-box; the flood boiled and plashed and gurgled, and swept away in black, whirling eddies; and Jack said, ”This wouldn't be a very nice place to break down, eh,--would it?”

But they got safely through; and on the farther bank they were pleased to find again the trail of the horse and buggy

They were now in high spirits The ind having passed up the river, the road lay aside from its direct path, but still within the area of rain

”This is gay!” said Jack ”He thinks he has baffled us; and he will put up soht; and on't! We shall circumvent Master Radcliff!”

[Illustration: FOLLOWING THE WAR TRAIL UNDER DIFFICULTIES]

But soon the boys were again puzzled Reaching another cross-road, and bringing the lantern to bear upon the trail, they found that, instead of continuing northward, toward Wisconsin, or turning to the right, in the direction of Chicago, it turned at a sharp angle to the left, in the direction of North Mills

”This move is a perfect ht the thing all over, and finally chosen the very last place one would expect him to make for”