As we wished to overtake our companions as soon as possible, we immediately pushed forward, and soon got into a somewhat more level country than we had lately been passing through; but the ground was very hard, and in the darkness we could not perceive the tracks made by those in advance.  Had an Indian guide been with us, he would undoubtedly have discovered them; but we had to trust to our own sagacity, and we had not gone far when we found that we had got out of the right road.  We did our utmost to regain it, but in vain.  Still, believing that we were going in the proper direction, we proceeded onwards.  The stars came out brightly from the sky, and we shaped our course as directly as we could by them.