re! But I suppose
there wouldn't be any use in trying to persuade you; you always do just
as you're told."

"Oh, I'd like to see the hotel, too, Dolly, but not today. The woods
are enough for me now. And we can go there some other time, I'm sure."

Dolly said nothing more just then, and for a time they walked along
quietly.

"We're about half way to Little Bear Lake now," announced Dolly, after a
spell of silence.

"Why, how do you know?"

"Because I saw a map, and this ridge we've just come to is half way
between the two lakes."

"Oh," said Bessie.

"Yes. We've been coming up hill so far now, the rest of the way is down
hill, so it will be easier walking."

"That's good; it means that when we're going home we'll be going down
for the last half of the trip, when we're tired. That's much easier than
if it was the other way, I think."

"You look tired, Bessie; why don't you sit down and rest!"

"Well, that's not a bad idea, Dolly. I'm not used to so much walking
lately."

"All right, sit down. I'm thirsty. I think I'll just run ahead and see
if I can find a spring while you rest."

So Dolly ran ahead, and disappeared after a moment. Presently, when
Bessie was rested, she started again, and soon overtook Dolly.

"We turn here," said Dolly. "See, here's another trail, and the signs
show which one we're to take."

"That's funny," said Bessie, puzzled. "I thought we went to Little Bear
in a perfectly straight line. Miss Eleanor didn't say anything about
changing direction."

"Well, there's the sign, Bessie. If we keep straight on it says that
we'll come to Loon Pond. We turn off to the right here to get to Little
Bear."

"Well, I guess the sign must be right. But it certainly seems funny. I
hope there isn't any mistake."

"Mistake! How can there be? Don't be silly, Bessie. There wouldn't be
any chance of that. Come on."

So they turned off, and, as they followed the new trail, the trees began
to grow thinner, presently. The whole character of the woods seemed to
change, too. They passed numerous places where picnic parties had
evidently eaten their meals, and had left blackened spots, and the
remnants of their feasts.

"It seems to me some of the people who've been here have been very
careless, Dolly," said Bessie, "Look, there's a place where a fire
started. It didn't get very far, but it burnt over quite a little bit of
ground before it was put out."

The trail began to dip sharply, too, and bef