uff, "you're not mean enough to consider the
drain it'll be on our grub resources to have two more mouths to feed!
But there, I take that back, because I know it wouldn't be like you
even to think that. What did you mean, Jerry?"

"It's nearly night as it is, and we'll sure be overtaken before we
cover a single mile. Think of tramping along in the pitch dark
carrying a man hurt as badly as he is."

"Between you and me I don't believe Frank will risk it. We can go as
far as possible, and when it grows dark pull up. Along about midnight,
if it stays clear, we ought to have the moon, and it'll give us enough
light to go on again."

It proved to be just as Bluff had said, for when the wounded man had
been carefully lifted and placed on the litter, with one of the boys
ready to take hold of each corner, Frank set forth his plan.

"We'll do the best we can, fellows, until it gets too dark to see
well; then we can lie down and rest for hours. When the moon gets
fully up, so that the woods are light again, we'll finish our tramp to
the cabin. Get that, everybody?"

The woodchopper seemed to be resting fairly easily now. Of course he
was in great pain and often groaned in spite of his close clenched
teeth; but the strain on his mind had lessened. He felt confident that
these lads would see him through his trouble in some way or other.
Their manner inspired the utmost confidence.

Again they left it to the boy to lead the way. His wonderful instinct
made him an infallible guide. Frank would have probably been able to
fetch up close to the cabin on the Point, but there was always a
chance of his going astray, while Sandy knew no such word as fail when
it came to "sensing" direction.

The little procession started. As well as they could, the four boys
bearing the litter kept step with one another, since that helped to
make the jar less noticeable.

It was no child's play carrying that heavy man through the darkening
forest, for unusual care had to be taken constantly, lest a stumble
occur that would cause him to cry out with sudden pain.

Just as Bluff had said, they must have covered about a full mile when
Frank called a halt, saying that it had grown too dark now to continue
the tramp.

CHAPTER XXIII

A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW

When the halt was made they were almost half-way to the cabin on the
Point. Bluff grumbled because none of them proved to be a modern
Joshua, able to command the sun to stand still for