ad last been seen.

John nudged his neighbors in the beds on the tent floor, and spoke in
low tones, so that he might not disturb the others outside. "Are you
asleep yet, Rob?"

"Almost," said Rob, whispering.

"So'm I. I think Jesse is already. But say, isn't it comfy? And I like
both those men."

III

STUDYING OUT THE TRAIL

It must have been some time about five o'clock in the morning, or even
earlier, when Rob, awakened by the increasing light in the tent,
stirred in his blanket and rolled over. He found himself looking into
the eyes of John, who also was lying awake. They whispered for a
minute or two, not wishing to waken Jesse, who still was asleep, his
face puckered up into a frown as though he were uneasy about
something. They tried to steal out the other tent, but their first
movement awakened Jesse, who sat up rubbing his eyes.

"What's the matter?" said he; "where are we?" He smiled sheepishly as
the other boys laughed at him.

"A good way from home, you'll find," answered John.

The smell of fresh smoke came to their nostrils from the fire, which
had been built for some time. So quiet had the men been about their
work that they had left the boys undisturbed for the best part of an
hour. They themselves had been accustomed to taking the trail even
earlier in the day than this.

"Good morning, young gentlemen," said Alex, quietly. "I hope you slept
well."

"Well," said Jesse, grinning, "I guess I did, for one."

"You'll been hongree?" smiled Moise at the fireside.

"Awfully!" said John. "I could eat a piece of raw bear meat."

"So?" grinned Moise. "Maybe you'll seen heem before we get through,
_hein_? She'll not been very good for eat raw."

"Nor any other way, according to my taste," said Alex, "but we'll see
how we like it cooked, perhaps."

"Do you really think we'll see any bear on this trip?" asked Rob.

"Plenty," said Alex, quietly.

"Grizzlies?"

"Very likely, when we get a little farther into the mountains. We
ought to pick up two or three on this trip--if they don't pick us up."

"I'm not worrying about that," said Rob. "We're old bear hunters."

Both the men looked at him and laughed.

"Indeed, we are," insisted Rob. "We killed a bear, and an awfully big
one, all by ourselves up on Kadiak Island. She was bigger than that
tent there; and had two little ones besides. Each of them was big as a
man, almost. They get awfully big up there in Alaska. I'll bet you
haven