"We have seen every one of their camps, eh?"

"Of course," Jacob replied, impatiently.

"An' have you noted any sign of a prisoner's havin' been tortured--meanin'
a half-burned tree, a pile of rocks near the fire, or sich other like
thing?"

Jacob shook his head; he could not bring himself to speak calmly of such a
possibility.

"No, you haven't, an' we know without bein' told that when sich devils as
follow Joe Brant get a prisoner in their clutches, they never kill him
without torture. Now, 'cordin' to my way of thinkin', we can count to a
certainty that he's alive."

"Then why haven't we come across him?" Jacob demanded, fiercely. "This is
the fourth time we've had their camp in full view, an' if he was with 'em
we ought to have seen somethin' of him."

"I allow you're right, lad, an' that's why I've come to believe that he's
been sent on ahead to the village."

"Then I must be movin'!" Jacob cried, springing suddenly to his feet. "I
should have had sense enough to guess that before!" And he made as if he
would leave us; but Sergeant Corney pulled him back by the coat-sleeve.

"Wait a bit. It was on my tongue's end to propose somethin' of the same
kind; but we can't afford to take the chances of makin' a move till yonder
nest of snakes has settled down for the night. An hour from now, an' we'll