ame
along, though it's hardly likely any of us will ever set eyes on them
again."

"But why the change, Ned, if you don't object to telling us?" asked
Jack.

"It's only right you should know why I took it on myself to do this,"
replied the other, modestly; "and then if anybody objects, and explains
on what grounds he bases his kick, perhaps it won't be too late to turn
out and find the blazed trail yet."

"Proceed, please," urged Frank.

"I thought that since our presence here is known, that those at the mine
would be able in some way to communicate with the dozen or more rascals
over at the river. And there would always be a pretty strong chance of
our being waylaid while on the road back to the boats. If any one found
our trail that would make it a foregone conclusion. And so I thought
we'd be wise to start in fresh."

"I saw you consulting your compass many times, while on the way over,
Ned," and this remark from Frank caused the patrol leader to smile and
nod in the affirmative.

"Which tells me you've got your location all down pat," continued Frank,
energetically. "Right now, if I asked you, chances are you'd be able to
point straight in the direction where the river lies; yes, and straight
at our boats. Is that correct, Ned?"

For answer, the other raised his hand and pointed.

"What direction would you say lies right there, Frank?" he asked.

Frank had to turn his head and observe the position of the sun, as well
as do considerable mental figuring, before feeling able to make answer;
which would indicate that he had been caught napping, and was not so
well prepared as a wide-awake scout should always be.

"Let's see," he went on to say, slowly; "according to my calculations
that ought to be not more than a point away from due east."

"It is exactly east, and the river lies there;" Ned pursued,
confidently; and no one had ever been able to catch him in an error
when it came to topography, for the patrol leader had very few equals in
studying the lay of the land. "Of course, our canoes lie some little
distance above; so that pretty soon we'll begin to shift our line of
travel more to the southeast. I have strong hopes that when we do strike
the Harricanaw, it will be close to the boats."

"And going this way is shorter than following the back trail away down
to the bay, and then picking up our other course from there?" Teddy
ventured to say; nor was his proposition disputed by even the one who
obje