rs
believed it had come straight up against the breeze.

Although there might be a few points difference in their guesses, still
it was noticeable that on the whole they were pretty uniform, and
pointed almost due east from the spot where they stood.

"How about the prospect of getting through there?" queried Jotham,
anxiously.

"Huh! couldn't be tougher, in my opinion," grumbled Seth.

"But if you look far enough, boys," remarked Paul, "you can see that
there seems to be some firmer ground over there."

"Well, now, you're right about that, Paul," interjected Fritz, "I was
just going to say the same myself. Made me think of what an oasis in a
desert might look like, though to be sure I never saw one in my life."

"Solid ground, you mean, eh?" said Babe Adams, gleefully, "maybe, now,
we won't be just tickled to death to feel the same under our trilbies
again. This thing of picking your way along a slippery ledge about three
inches wide, makes me feel like I'm walking on eggs all the while. Once
you lose your grip, and souse you go up to your knees, or p'raps your
neck, in the nasty dip. Solid ground will feel mighty welcome to me."

"Do we make a bee line for that quarter, Paul?" asked Andy.

"I'd like to see you try it, that's what," jeered Seth. "In three shakes
of a lamb's tail you'd be swimming in the mud. Guess we have to follow
one of these crazy little hummocks that run criss-cross through the
place, eh, Frank?"

"Yes, you're right about that, Seth; but I'm glad to say I think one
runs over toward that spot; anyway, here goes to find out."

The young scoutmaster made a start while speaking, and the balance of
the boys lined out after him.

"Keep close together, so as to help each other if any trouble comes,"
was what Paul called out over his shoulder.

"Yes, and for goodness sake don't all get in at once, or we'll be
drowned. Think what an awful time there'd be in old Beverly, if six of
her shining lights went and got snuffed out all at once. Hey, quit your
pushin' there, Jotham, you nearly had me overboard that time."

"Well, I just _had_ to grab something, because one of my legs was in up
to the knee. Oh! dear, what a fine time we'll have getting all this mud
off us," Jotham complained, from just behind.

But they were making pretty fair progress, all the same; and whenever
any of the boys could venture to take their eyes off the faintly marked
path they were following, long enough to send a quic