noon
he sprang up the rocks with an agility that threatened to leave his young companions far in the rear . All now pressed forward with renewed energy ; and having gained the summit of the hill , which here rose to the height of eighty feet , they were enabled , by the aid of Cæsar , to come quickly upon the trail of the Indians , who , doubtless supposing themselves now safe from pursuit , had taken little or no pains to conceal their course . Of this their pursuers now took advantage , and hurried onward with long and rapid strides ; now through thick dark woods and gloomy hollows ; now up steep hills and rocky barren cliffs ; now through tangles and over marshy grounds -- clearing all obstacles that presented themselves with an ease which showed that notwithstanding some of them might be inferior as woodsmen , none were at all events as travelers in the woods . By noon the party had advanced some considerable distance , and were probably not far in the rear of the pursued -- at least such was the opinion of Boone -- when they were again , to their great vexation , put at fault for the trail , by the cunning of the renegade , who , to prevent all accidents , had here once more broken it , by entering another small streamlet -- a branch of Eagle river ; and although our friends set to with all energy and diligence to find it , yet , from the nature of the ground round about , the darkness of the wood through which the rivulet meandered , and several other causes , they were unable to do so for three good hours . This delay tended not a little to discourage the younger members of our pursuing party , who , in consequence , began to be low spirited , and less eager than before to press forward when the trail was again found ; but a few words from Boone in a chiding manner , telling them that if they faltered at every little obstacle , they would be unfit representatives of border life , served to stimulate them to renewed exertions . To add to the discomfort of all -- not excepting Boone himself -- the sun , which had thus far shone out warm and brilliant , began to grow more and more dim , as a thick haze spread through the atmosphere overhead , foretokening an approaching storm -- an event which might prove entirely disastrous to their hopes , by obliterating all vestiges of the pursued . As the gallant old hunter moved onward with rapid strides -- preceded by the faithful brute , which , on the regular trail , greatly facilitated their progress , by saving the company a close scrutiny of their course -- he from time to time cast his eyes upward and noted the thickening atmosphere with an anxious and troubled expression .