he way the moss hangs to one side
of nearly all the trees, the northwest, where most every storm comes
from," was what Jimmy went on to say, as though desirous of letting the
leader know he had never forgotten valuable lessons learned long ago.

"You can tell direction from the general slant of the trees, if you
notice them close enough," Jack Bosworth ventured; "because in the long
run they are bound to show some deviation from a straight perpendicular,
on account of these same storms. There's a good example of what I say
right before you, Jimmy; that big tree standing high up above all the
rest. See what I mean?"

"'Tis an easy mark you'd be taking me for, Jack, if I couldn't grab that
idea and pull it down," the other remarked.

"Fact is," put in Frank, "a wide-awake scout need never get lost, if only
he keeps his wits about him. I've even told direction by using my watch.
And there isn't one of the bunch but who carries some sort of a compass
along with him, unless Jimmy here, who forgets so many times, has left
his with the duffle in the boats."

"You're off your trolley there if you think that, Frank," chuckled the
scout in question, as he tapped his pocket suggestively. "I've
experienced the fun of gettin' lost twice in me life, and I don't mean
to ever take chances again. Goin' without a bite of grub from one
sunset to the next was a lesson to me I'll not soon forget. I thought I
was bound to starve to death."

"Well, let's talk less and look more," advised Ned, who knew how easily
Jimmy could be drawn into an argument, or be induced to start one of his
stories that concerned strange things experienced in the past.

After that they moved along almost in silence. Once in a while, Ned
would think it the part of wisdom to call their attention to something
that was apt to impress itself on their memories, so as to be easily
recalled later on. He did this in a quiet way, for Ned disliked any show
of authority. As the leader of the strange expedition into these
Northern wilds, he was in complete charge of the little party; but,
then, these other young fellows were boon comrades, with whom he had
encountered numerous perils in times gone by, so that he hid the iron
hand under the velvet glove as much as possible.

All of them could speedily see that the character of the country was
gradually changing as they continued to advance. This gave Ned assurance
that his theory was founded on correct lines, and that they