The Indians, when they got to some place which is probably
about half across the burned ground, turned either to the right or
left, and traveled 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 clew 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 Gauchos, who nodded assent.
"And in which direction do the Gauchos believe that their
camping-ground lies?" Mr. Jamieson asked after a pause; "because it
appears to me that it is a waste of time to look for the trail, and
that our only plan is to push straight on to their villages, which
we may reach before they get there. And in that case, if we found
them unguarded, we might seize all their women, and hold them as
hostages until they return. Then we could exchange them for Ethel;
and when we had once got her, we could fight our way back."
"Capital, capital!" the other English man exclaimed.
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