Part 24 (2/2)

For aat the extre, when all at once there ca and the end broke away, but fortunately it had swung so loard the ground that he dropped at the foot of the tree, not much the worse for his experience

It had ail happened so quickly that, before he had tiround flat on his back

”My goodness gracious!” exclai himself all over to o the worse it gets This is certainly the worst yet I think the ground is good enough for me after that”

A little dazed by his fall, Pepper, without stopping to consider his direction, started off as fast as he could go, turning this way and that as he went, to avoid the thicker growths of under-brush, until he had gone aail the time deeper into the forest

”I think,” heabout for so back to the road Noonder which way it is Let me see, which is the North That must be it, because this side of the trees have moss on the off in the direction he had decided upon Pepper pursued his way, swerving now to the right and again to the left to avoid soround, until he judged that he had gone at least a th ”I wonder where that road has gone I was not that far from it, I know I must have traveled about fourdirection at that

Gee! Itat his watch he saas 12 o'clock, and sat down to eat his lunch

”Lucky I brought it along,” he thought; ”for, froet anyfor h they would have quite a wait

”Nohich way shall I go?” he questioned when he had finished

”There doesn't see as another”

Striking off at right angles fro he decided to try that course for a while, but after traveling for an hour through the underbrush, which seeh the farther he went, he again came to a halt

”Looks as if I was lost,” he o the more lost I am I suppose if Don were here he would toss up for the way to go, and I guess that's as good a way as any”

Taking a coin fro at it ”if it is head,” he decided, ”I will go to the right, and if it is tail I will go to the left It's head,”

opening his hand ”Now, I'll bet that isn't the right way, but I'll try it anyhow”

Taking the course the coin had indicated Pepper plunged into the brush and doggedly pushed on, although he was getting tired and so to keep on this way,” he deteret to the road or costo rest, after he had forced his way through a particularly heavy growth of brush, he was startled at hearing the angry bark of a dog not far away

”Crickets!” he cried, ”I hope I haven't run across that beast again I think I had better look for a stick while I have ti up any ood-sized stick lying upon the ground, which he scrutinized closely before venturing to take possession

In addition to the barking of the dog he could now hear voices, and thus encouraged, he advanced in the direction from which came the sounds

”Perhaps I can find soht A fewin the woods in which stood a rudely-built cabin, and a little way off a smaller shack which, apparently, was used as a stable, as there was a wagon standing beside it, which Pepper recognized as the one he had seen on the road, and as the very one Monkey had been driving when he nearly run theon and several tin cans Perched on the roof of the cabin was a boy, whonized as Sam To, which was juet at him

While Pepper watched, the on, ca away, at the saet for teasing hirowled ”He'll take a piece out of you yet”

Making a surly response Sam slipped down from the roof and disappeared into the house

”Gee!” exclailad I didn't walk in on the on here?”