by the land."

Ned had by now determined that they ought to turn to the left in
continuing the forward movement. He next looked for some landmark, by
means of which on their return that they might know just where they
should plunge into the woods, so as to follow their trail back to where
the precious canoes were secreted.

As though he found nothing in the arrangement of the shore or the trees
themselves to stamp it different from other places, Ned stooped down and
placed several stones upon each other at the foot of a stunted oak.

That was an old trick among the scouts. Many such a stone cairn had they
fashioned when playing some game of fox and geese, to serve as a sign to
those who were following in their wake.

"We ought to see this, and remember that it tells us where we struck the
beach," he explained to his chums, as he rose up again after completing
his work.

Both guides had been watching what he did with more or less interest. Of
course, they understood that the scouts had learned many of the ways
practiced by woodsmen, for by now the real meaning of the khaki uniforms
worn by the boys had been fully grasped by Francois and the Cree; though
for a long time they had had hard work to understand why Ned and his
chums were not to be looked upon as soldiers.

"Zere ees nozzing better zan a pile of stones to mark ze way," admitted
the voyageur. "I haf myself used zat many times. But be sure zat you
notice other things besides. It may be, an enemy he move ze stones some
ozzer place, and if zat be so you all get twist up when you try to come
back."

Ned nodded, as though he had already covered this ground.

"I had thought of that very same thing, Francois," he said, "and see,
here is where I made a little gash in the trunk of the tree. I expected
to look for that on the return trip. If I failed to find it I should
understand there was something gone wrong."

"Zat ees well, sare; ze one who gets ze better of you must wake up early
in ze morning, I am think!" he said softly, but in a way that told he
meant every word.

"So say we all of us," added Jack.

"Ned generally looks out for snags!" Frank declared.

"We'd have met up with many a wreck only for his watchfulness," came
from Teddy.

Jimmy did not like to be left out when there was any exchange of
sentiments. He had a great admiration for the gifts of Ned Nestor, and
wanted every one to understand what his sentiments were. So he started
to open h