Part 2 (1/2)

When he reached the home of Jack Carleton, the latter was waiting and impatient to start. Jack had already kissed his mother good-by several times and he repeated the fond embrace. Tears were in the eyes of both, and the mother stood in the door of her cabin shading her eyes with her hand until the two pa.s.sed from sight in the forest beyond the clearing.

Several of the pioneers who were busy about the settlement greeted the boys and inquired their errand. Colonel Martin shook hands with them, and asked all the particulars of the business on which they were engaged. His age and position authorized him to ask such searching questions, had the couple been full-grown men instead of boys.

Otto answered truthfully, and the colonel smiled grimly and shook his head.

”It's mighty little chance you have of ever finding _that_ horse again, but you may come upon another. Take my advice, however,” added the colonel with a wink of his left eye, ”make certain the owner isn't in sight when you walk off with the animal.”

”Why, colonel, you don't think we mean to steal a horse!” exclaimed the horrified Jack.

”Certainly not--certainly not,” the princ.i.p.al man of the settlement hastened to say, ”I don't believe you could be persuaded to do such a thing--that is if the owner was looking.”

”We couldn't be persuaded to do such a thing _under any circ.u.mstances_,”

exclaimed Jack, his face flus.h.i.+ng over the idea that any one who knew him should suspect him capable of such a crime.

”See here,” said the colonel, dropping his voice and stepping in front of them, ”you tell me you are going after a horse. Have you the money with you to buy one?”

”No; we cannot get one _that_ way.”

”I judged not; how then do you propose to obtain him?”

”Toby, the colt belonging to Otto's father, is wandering in the woods not very far away----”

”How do you know he is?” interrupted the colonel.

”Why, he was doing so only a few days ago.”

”That is no proof that he is keeping it up; in fact it is scarcely possible that such is the case. Recollect, my boy, that several tribes of Indians hunt through this portion of Louisiana, and they would be much quicker than you to observe the trail of a horse wearing an iron shoe; they would be inquiring enough also to investigate for themselves, and, when they came upon the colt, they would snap him up quicker than lightning.”

The boys felt that somehow or other the wonderful young Shawanoe would appear at the right moment and lend them the help which they were certain to need. Should he fail to do so, they could no more recapture and take the colt to his owner than they could penetrate into the Dark and b.l.o.o.d.y Ground and bring back the great war chief Tec.u.mseh as a prisoner.

But neither Colonel Martin nor any one in the village knew anything about the extraordinary Indian youth, and, while Jack was asking himself whether he should linger long enough to explain the situation, the gentleman relieved them from the embarra.s.sment by a hearty slap on the shoulder of Jack, and the exclamations:

”I was once a boy myself! I haven't forgotten that jolly time: we always liked to have some sort of excuse when we went off on a frolic.

You see what a lot of work there is to do in clearing the ground and getting it ready for cultivation; you would much rather be hunting and rambling through the woods; I can't say I blame you, so off with you, and when you come back with word that the horse was mean enough to keep out of your way, why we won't be too hard on you.”

And with another resounding slap, the hearty colonel gave the boys a vigorous shove which sent them forward among the trees, near which they had halted.

CHAPTER III.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED.

Jack Carleton was too sensible a youth to suppose that the Lost Trail could be found by a blind wandering through the immense expanse of wilderness, which stretched hundreds of miles in almost every direction from the little settlement of Martinsville. Both he and Otto had a strong hope, when they reached home after their stirring adventure with Deerfoot, that the colt Toby would follow them of his own accord. He belonged to a species possessing such unusual intelligence that there would have been nothing remarkable in such a proceeding, and the fact that he did not do so, gave ground for the belief that he had fallen into the hands of parties who prevented the animal from doing as he chose.

One fact was clearly established; Toby had been within a comparatively short distance of the settlement, and, if he had remained anywhere in the neighborhood during the late storm, traces of him must be found without much difficulty. But one of the easiest things in the world is to theorize over any problem; to push that theory to a successful conclusion is altogether another matter.

While it lacked a couple of hours of noon, the boys reached an elevated section which gave them an extended view in every direction. Looking to the eastward, Otto fancied he could detect the gleam of the distant Mississippi, but Jack a.s.sured him he was mistaken. Too many miles lay between them and the mighty Father of Waters for the eye to traverse the s.p.a.ce.

Young Carleton took off his cap and drew his handkerchief across his perspiring forehead. Then he sighed and smiled.