394 THE ADIRONDACK. 



at the roots of the trees, long before • we reached them. 



Once C , in coming back with his second load, 



trudged ahead, thinking he could not miss the trail that 

 he had twice just traversed ; but he did — and wandered 

 on for a long time without knowing that he was lost. 

 Neither did we miss him till we had all assembled at the 

 new starting-place ; and then finding he was gone, we 

 felt a good deal alarmed, for on comparing notes, we dis- 

 covered that it had been some time since the last one 

 saw him. We immediately began to halloo, and made 

 the old forest ring with our shouts, but no answering 

 voice came back. We knew that if he once got entirely 

 out of hearing, the chances were a hundred to one we 

 should never see him again. He would keep wandering 

 on till, exhausted and faint, he would lie down to die ; 

 and no human eye would probably ever rest on his 

 bones. We thought he could not yet be beyond the 

 hearing of a rifle-shot, the sound of which can be heard 

 at a great distance on a still day in the woods (which this 

 fortunately was), and so we successively discharged our 

 pieces. In the intervals we shouted, and then stopped 

 to listen. At length we heard, faint and far, his answer- 

 ing halloo. At the welcome sound we sent up a wild 

 hurrah, and soon with delight caught a glimpse of his 



