ch afforded them a draught with which to quench
their thirst.

"Now," said Fred, "since we have had such a good breakfast, we will
think of nothing more to eat until night."

"I don't know about not _thinkin'_ of the same," said Terry doubtfully,
"but I am with ye in agraain' that we won't go out of the path to hunt
any of the same onless--that is, onless we should think what I've
brought along isn't aqual to our appetites."

"We must have passed considerably more than half the distance between
home and the camp in the mountains," added the elder, some minutes
later; "so, if all goes well, we ought to be with our friends some time
to-morrow afternoon."

"I'm of the opinion," remarked the sagacious Terry, "that Deerfut sint
us on ahead last night so as to git us out uv the way; thim pritty legs
of his can travel so fast that he wanted a chance to stritch the same
without waitin' fur us."

"More than likely you are right; whenever he thinks it necessary, he
will branch out ahead of the Winnebagos and overhaul us; so even though
we see nothing of him, we ought not to feel much concern."

"How about the wither, me lad?"

Fred had noticed since resuming their journey, that the sky, which was
clear and sunshiny in the morning, had become overcast. The sun was no
longer visible, and a chilliness in the air warned them that the fine
weather could not last much longer. They had not only been favored in
this respect, but for several days before leaving home equally charming
skies had spanned them. And so, in accordance with the laws of our
changeable climate, a disagreeable turn was to be expected.

"I was hopeful that it would keep off until we reached camp," said Fred,
looking up through the tree tops at the darkening sky; "but that is too
much, and we must take it as it comes."

"Push on as fast as ye choose."

Taking his friend at his word, Fred broke into a slow, easy trot, not
much more rapid than an ordinary walking gait, but one which they could
keep up a long time, where the ground was not too rough. Terry of course
did the same, and they covered fully two miles in that manner, when they
slackened their pace before an extensive rise of the ground. But for
that, they would have gone much further at the same speed.

Some fifteen minutes were spent in clambering up the stony incline, when
they descended into a broad valley, the path still rough and difficult
of passage. They recognized a dull but increasing roa