kon? were the two questions that they constantly
asked of each other, but which none could answer.

Phil grew almost despondent as he reflected upon the length of time
since they left old Fort Adams, and gave it as his opinion that the
other party must have reached Forty Mile, long since.

Jalap Coombs was firm in his belief that the other party was still far
away, and that his would be the first in; for, quoth he: "Luck allers
has been on my side, and I'm going to believe it allers will be. My old
friend Kite Roberson useter say, speaking of luck, and he give it as his
own experience, that them as struck the best kinds of luck was them as
worked the hardest for it, and ef they didn't get it one way they was
sure to another. Likewise he useter say, Kite did, consarning
worriments, that ef ye didn't pay no attention to one 'twould be mighty
apt to pass ye by; but ef ye encouraged it by so much as a wink or a nod
ye'd have to fight it to git red of it. So, as they hain't no worriments
hove in sight, what's the use in s'arching for 'em?"

As for Kurilla, whenever his opinion was asked, he always grinned, and
returned the same answer:

"You come pretty quick, mebbe. Yaas."

So each day of the last three or four brought its fresh hope; at each
succeeding bend of the stream all eyes were strained eagerly forward for
a sight of the expected cluster of log huts, and each night brought a
disappointment.

At length one evening, when Phil, who had pushed on longer than usual,
in an effort to end their suspense, was reluctantly compelled by
gathering darkness to go into camp, Chitsah suddenly attracted attention
to himself by running to a tree and pressing an ear to the trunk. As the
others stared a smile overspread his face, and he said something to his
father, which the latter instantly interpreted.

"What!" cried Phil, incredulously. "He thinks he hears the sound of
chopping?"

"Yaas," answered Kurilla. "Axe chop um white man. Plenty. Yaas."

"I too can hear something," exclaimed Serge, who had imitated Chitsah's
movements, "though I wouldn't swear it was chopping."

"Hurrah! So can I!" shouted Phil, after a moment of intent listening at
another tree. "First time, though, I ever knew that the public telephone
service was extended to this country. The sound I heard might be a train
of cars twenty miles away or a woodpecker somewhere within sight. No
matter. If Chitsah says it's chopping, it must be, for he ought to kno