Part 30 (1/2)

Tad considered for a moment.

”Wait,” he said, a sudden idea coming to him. ”I do not remember this particular spot, but when I left the camp I blazed trees all along so I could find my way back. If there are any marks on the trees here, I made them.”

The men leaped from their ponies and began examining the trees, from the cliff back several rods. Not a sign of fresh blazing were they able to discover.

”There's nothing here,” announced the leader.

”Then I didn't go this way,” answered Tad, with a note of finality in his tone.

”We are too far to the north, boys. Turn around and follow the canyon.”

This they did until they had proceeded for something like half an hour, when the leader of the rescue party decided to get down again and examine the trees.

”Here's a blaze. Is that yours, kid?” he exclaimed.

Tad examined the mark on the tree carefully, having first lighted a match to aid him.

”Yes, yes; I did that.”

”Then we've gone by the place. There can't be anybody there or we would have seen the camp-fire.”

”They must be there! Let's go back over the ground!” exclaimed Tad.

The men turned about without another word. After a few moments had pa.s.sed Tad began calling loudly.

Soon a shout just ahead of them told the party that at last they had found that which they were in search of.

Tad uttered a glad cry.

”Where are you?”

”Here,” answered the voice of Stacy Brown.

Tad put spurs to his pony and dashed up to where he thought the voice had come from.

”Where are the rest of the boys?”

”Got anything to eat?” asked Chunky, rousing himself to full wakefulness.

”Yes, plenty. But where's Ned and Walter? Are they asleep?”

insisted Tad Butler half fearfully.

”I don't know.”

”What do you mean?”

”Ned went off to hunt some game because we didn't have anything to eat. He hasn't come back. Walt got crazy about it and I guess he went out to look for him, though he didn't tell me he was going to--”