"Well," said Marco; "go on; what are the other two?"
"If we can not find the path," said Forester, "either because the snow
does not melt, or for any other reason, then we can remain where we
are until night, and the people, finding that we do not come home,
will send up for us."
"And how can they find us?" asked Marco.
"Why, they will come up the path, of course, and we can not be very
far from the path, for we only lost it a few minutes before we came
here. Of course they will come up very near to this place; - and they
will come shouting out, every few minutes, as loud as they can, and so
we shall hear them."
"Yes," said Marco, "I see; that is a pretty good chance."
"The third chance for us," said Forester, "is to go down into the
first glen or valley that we can find, and then we shall probably come
to a stream. Then we can follow the stream down to the river."
"How do you know that it goes to the river?" asked Marco.
"All mountain streams do, of course," said Forester. "They go down
wherever they can find a valley or a hollow, - joining together and
taking in branches as they proceed, - until they get down into the
level country, and then they flow to the nearest river, and so to the
sea. Now I know that the river takes a bend around this mountainous
tract, and almost surrounds it, and all the streams from it must flow
into the river without going very far. We could follow one down,
though we should probably find the way very rough and difficult."
"Let us try it," said Marco.
This plan was decided upon, and so, when the snow squall was entirely
over and the sun had come out Marco and Forester, taking their
departure from the great tree and guiding their course by the sun,
the travelers set out, proceeding as nearly in a straight line as
possible, intending to go on in that manner until they should come to
some stream, and then to follow the stream down to the river. The plan
succeeded perfectly well. They soon descended into a valley, where
they found a little brook flowing over a bed of moss-covered stones.
They followed this brook down for about a mile, when they came to a
junction between the brook that they were following and another one.
After this junction of course the stream was larger, and in many
places they found it difficult to get along. The way was encumbered
with bushes, rocks, and fallen trees, and in one place the stream
flowed in a foaming torrent through the bottom of a deep chasm, with
sides rising directly out of the water. Here the travelers were
obliged to find a way at a distance from the brook - guiding
themselves, however, by the sound of its roaring. After passing the
chasm, they got back to the stream again.
They came out into the open country about one o'clock, and found to their
great joy that they were very near the place where the horses were
pastured. The horses were all ready for them, and Forester and Marco
mounted them immediately, and set out on their return home.
It was very pleasant riding along at their ease on horseback, after all
the dangers and fatigues that they had encountered. A part of the way
the road which they took lay along the shore of the river. Marco enjoyed
this part of the ride very much indeed.
They reached home about sunset, with an excellent appetite for supper.
Marco was very enthusiastic in his manner of giving his aunt Forester
an account of his adventures, and he said, in conclusion, that he would
just as lief get lost in the woods as not. It was good fun.
***END OF MARCO PAUL'S VOYAGES AND TRAVELS; VERMONT***
