Adventure and adventurers > Away in the wilderness, or, Life among the red Indians and fur-traders of North America

120
AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS.
was following the track with the utmost speed of
which he was capable. He never once halted, or
faltered, or turned aside, all that day. His iron
frame seemed to be incapable of fatigue. He went
with his body bent forward, his brows lowering,
and his lips firmly compressed ; but he was not
successful. The murderer had got a sufficiently
long start of him to render what sailors call a
stem chase a long one. Still Jasper never thought
of giving up the pursuit, until he came suddenly
on an open space, where the snow had been re¬
cently trodden down by a herd of buffaloes, and
by a band of Indians who were in chase of
them.
Here he lost the track, and although he searched
long and carefully he could not find it. Late that
night the baffled hunter returned to the fort.
“ You have failed—I see by your look,” said
Mr. Pemberton, as Jasper entered.
“Ay, I have failed,” returned the other gloomily.
“ He must have gone with the band of Indians
among whose tracks I lost his footsteps.”
“ Have you any idea who can have done this
horrible deed ?” said Pemberton.
“ It was Darkeye,” said Jasper in a stem voice.
Some of the Indians who chanced to be in the
hall were startled, and rose on hearing this.
“ Be not alarmed, friends,” said the fur-trader.
“ You are the guests of Christian men. We will