se twinges in his knees had been warning signs. Oddly enough,
his mind now fastened upon one thing. He was longing for the
lost buffalo robe, his first great prize. It had been so large
and so warm, and the fur was so soft. It would cover both Albert
and himself, and keep them warm on the coldest night. If they
only had it now! He thought more of that robe just then than he
did of the food that they would need in the morning. Cast forth
upon a primeval world, this first want occupied his mind to the
exclusion of all others.

He returned to the rocky alcove presently, and lay down again.
He was too young and too healthy to remain awake long, despite
the full measure of their situation, and soon he slept soundly
once more. He was first to awake in the morning, and the beam
that struck upon his forehead was golden instead of silver. It was
warm, too, and cheerful, and as Dick parted the branches and
looked out, he saw that the sun was riding high. It had been
daylight a full three hours at least, but it did not matter. Time
was perhaps the only commodity of which he and Albert now
had enough and to spare.

He took his coat off Albert and put it on himself, lest Albert
might suspect, and then began to sing purposely, with loudness
and levity, an old farm rhyme that had been familiar to the boys
of his vicinity:

"Wake up, Jake, the day is breaking.
The old cow died, her tail shaking."

Albert sat up, rubbed his eyes, and stared at Dick and the
wilderness.

"Now look at him!" cried Dick. "He thinks he's been called too
early. He thinks he'd like to sleep eight or ten hours longer!
Get up, little boy! Yes, it's Christmas morning! Come and see
what good old Santa has put in your stocking!"

Albert yawned again and laughed. Really, Dick was such a
cheerful, funny fellow that he always kept one in good spirits.
Good old Dick!

"Old Santa filled our stockings, all right," continued Dick, "but
he was so busy cramming 'em full of great forests and magnificent
scenery that he forgot to leave any breakfast for us, and I'm
afraid we'll have to hustle for it."

They started down the mountain slope, and presently they came to
a swift little brook, in which they bathed their faces, removing,
at the same time, fragments of twigs and dried leaves from their
hair.

"That was fine and refreshing," said Dick, "but it doesn't fill
my stomach. Al, I could bite a tenpenny nail in half and digest
both pieces, too.