any thing about this to laugh at."

"I don't obsarve much of the same mesilf," said the other, whose face
nevertheless was on abroad grin; "I wasn't laughing at yersilf, or the
mistake we made."

"What was it then that amused you so much?"

"I was thinkin' how funny it looked to see the deer and bears and
buffaloes and foxes and panthers all standing round that big bowl and
winkin' at each ither while they drank their health."

"Terry, there's going to be trouble because of this blunder."

"What do ye signify be the same?"

"I believe that all the advantage we gained by traveling so hard last
night is lost. When we follow this trail back until it reaches the main
one, more than likely we shall meet the Winnebagos at that point, if
they will not actually be between us and the camp in the Ozarks."

"I'm afeard it's not all a falsehood that ye are telling me," said
Terry, with an expression in which there was nothing like a jest.

"Let's be off then."

At this juncture the Irish lad made a proposition which his companion
accepted, for he thought it promised them much saving in time and
travel.

It was quite certain that the false trail followed pretty much the same
direction as the true one: at any rate there could be no doubt that it
crossed the stream which had stopped them, so instead of picking their
way back for several miles, they decided to keep along the edge of the
water itself until they struck the path.

To make sure of avoiding another blunder, one should have gone up and
the other down stream, for manifestly they could not be certain they
were above or below the true path; but each felt too strong a misgiving
about such a course. Their surroundings required mutual support.

Beside this, they were convinced that the trail which they wished to
recover lay above instead of below, so that, when making their way they
were not held back by any doubt, though each could not fail to see that
it was only a piece of guess-work.

Fortunately for their peace of mind, they were right, and the plan saved
them much time and travel. They had not gone very far, when they came
upon the path, marked so distinctly that there could be no possible
mistake.

The width of the stream was about the same as below. The water was
smooth, deep, clear and sluggish. The bank sloped gently down from each
side and on the other shore were plainly seen the prints of the hoofs
where the animals had left the water. It was so deep t