!" shouted Chris, and it slowly walked out of the shallowing
water, till it stood dripping on the sandy marge.

"Now," cried Chris, "I'm going to lead my mustang in as far as I can
wade, so as to get regularly soaked, and it will freshen the beasts
too."

"Yes, capital. Shall we take off the saddles?"

"No, we won't stop."

The ponies were led in till only their necks were out of the water, and
then turned towards the shore; but they stopped twice to drink, and were
approaching the spot where the mule stood, when Chris uttered a cry and
caught at his saddle to save himself, his pony at the same moment making
a plunge and snorting violently.

"What's the matter?" cried Ned anxiously.

"Some big fish struck at me suddenly. No, I know, it must have been a
big alligator."

Ned's jaw dropped and his eyes opened very wide as he began to splash
through the water as hard as he could go, the pony following willingly
enough, but only to snort and plunge as a swell of water rose before
them where the water was very shallow, and a dark, bark-like, glistening
back was seen for a moment, followed by a tapering tail, as a reptile
glided by.

"I wonder whether the brutes would bite," said Ned.

"I shouldn't like to trust them," was the reply. "But oh, what a change
since last night," continued the boy, half-wild with delight, as the sun
began to show a little over the edge of the horizon, flooding the world
with golden light and turning the pale, silvery lake as it were into
glowing fire.

The boys only glanced for a moment or two at the glorious scene before
them of lake and undulating country backed by mountains. Then, after
tying the trailing lariat about the mule's neck, they mounted their
ponies, all dripping as they were, ready for the march to camp, but only
to suffer a chill of misery as the same thought struck both--

Which was the way back?

"Why, we shall never find them!"

"Coming here as we did, fast asleep as we must have been," groaned Ned.

"The mule must have smelt the water far-off," said Chris, "and found the
way here."

"Yes, but he won't find the way back to camp. What shall we do? What
shall we do?"

There was a piteous, despairing ring in Ned's voice as he sat gazing
woefully in Chris's eyes.

"We might go right away," said the latter thoughtfully, and then in a
tone full of exultation, "We're a pretty pair," he cried; "look how
plain the hoof-marks are in the sand. Why, we've only g