BIRCH BROWSINGS 



When wc met at the sign of the smoke, 

 opinions differed as to the most feasible 

 course. There was no doubt but that we 

 could get out of the woods ; but we wished 

 to get out speedily, and as near as possible 

 to the point where we had entered. Half 

 ashamed of our timidity and indecision, we 

 finally tramped away back to where we had 

 crossed the line of blazed trees, followed 

 our old trail to the spring on the top of the 

 range, and, after much searching and scour- 

 ing to the right and left, found ourselves at 

 the very place we had left two hours before. 

 Another deliberation and a divided council. 

 But something must be done. It was then 

 mid-afternoon, and the prospect of spending 

 another night on the mountains, without 

 food or drink, was not pleasant. So we 

 moved down the ridge. Here another line 

 of marked trees was found, the course of 

 which formed an obtuse angle with the one 

 we had followed. It kept on the top of the 

 ridge for perhaps a mile, when it entirely 

 disappeared, and we were as much adrift as 

 ever. Then one of the party swore an oath, 

 and said he was going out of those woods, 

 hit or miss, and, wheeling to the right, in- 

 stantly plunged over the brink of the moun- 



121 



