ak and then Fred, whose tongue was
seldom silent long, said eagerly, while his eyes filled with tears, "You
must have had a close call, George."

"I did," replied George. "Somehow I slipped over the edge here and went
sliding down that incline. I tried to stop myself but I couldn't get any
brace or foothold until I came to the little shelf down there. That small
tree saved my life."

"Were you alone?" inquired Fred.

"Yes," replied George foolishly. "I must have dropped behind Grant and
Zeke. We were pretty well spread out here anyway."

"How long ago did it happen?"

"About fifty years, I should judge by my feelings," replied George dryly.
"I fancy it really was about an hour or two."

"Why didn't Grant and Zeke come back and look for you?"

"Perhaps they did. They may have passed the place without knowing that I
was anywhere near. But how is it that you are here alone? Where are String
and Pete?"

"That's what I don't know," said Fred.

"What do you mean?"

"Just what I say, I haven't the slightest idea where they are."

"Where did you leave them?"

"Way back near the entrance of Thorn's Gulch. We stopped in the middle of
the day yesterday and after we had eaten our luncheon I began to make some
investigations of my own. That's the last I've seen of either Pete or Jack
and besides I haven't had a mouthful to eat since yesterday noon."

"You haven't?" exclaimed George. "I'm afraid we can't do anything for you
until we find Grant and Zeke. They have most of the supplies. Let me get
into my pack and see what I've got."

George's pack which Thomas Jefferson had insisted upon taking when he
rescued the Go Ahead Boy was now opened but there was no food in it.

"There's nothing else to be done," said George, shaking his head.

"Yes, there is something to be done," said Fred tartly. "We've got to do
something. You don't know where Soc and Zeke are and I don't know where
String and Pete may be. We've got to find them."

"We'll find them," suggested Thomas Jefferson quickly.

Both young Indians had been silent during the conversation although they
were intensely interested in the conversation of the two boys.

"I shall go to look up the two who went ahead of you--" began Thomas
Jefferson.

"But they may have passed this place and gone in the other direction,"
interrupted George.

"I shall see," said the Navajo quietly. "I shall go in that direction and
Kitoni will go in the other looking for the other