all lay down
with a sense of security to which they had been strangers in a long
time.

As usual, the boys were the first to awake, doing so almost at the same
moment. They saw by the sun that the afternoon was about half gone, but
they were not troubled from hunger, as their morning meal may be said to
have been their midday one, and had been one of those royal ones whose
memory is apt to linger a long time with us, especially if we are boys.

"This is tiresome," said Elwood, yawning and stretching his limbs, "let
us take a tramp of discovery."

The proposal suited Howard, although prudence told him to remain where
he was and keep his friend with him. But the restraint was so irksome
that he was all too willing a listener to the persuasions of his
companion.

"I noticed there was quite a high range of hills just back of us," added
Elwood. "Let's take a look at them."

"Is it prudent?" and Howard only repeated audibly the question that his
conscience had just asked him.

"Prudent? Of course it is, if we only take good care of ourselves."

"Shall we awake Tim before we go?"

"No; he will sleep until to-morrow morning."

"We must leave Terror to watch him then, for it wouldn't do for him to
lie alone and asleep."

"Of course not."

The Newfoundland, which had risen to his feet, was told to remain on
guard, and the boys started off on a ramble that was to be a most
eventful one to them.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE RAMBLE.

After the restraint the boys had undergone, cramped in the canoe, and
not daring to wander out of sight of their camp-fire when upon shore,
there was a delicious relief in rambling through the woods. The clear,
pure air that was dry and cool in the shadow of the forest, the
undulating, charming scenery, the novel look that rested upon all they
saw--these possessed a charm to our young friends which they hardly
could have resisted, even if they had the will to do so; but when we say
that after starting forth scarcely a thought of their imprudence entered
their heads, it was but natural that they should find themselves led
much further away than was either wise or consistent with the resolves
with which they left their friends, Tim and Terror.

They took no notice of the direction they were following, nor of the
distance they had gone, until near the middle of the afternoon Howard
abruptly paused and asked, with a look of alarm:

"Elwood, what have we done?"

"Why? What is the matt