"Do obsarve where the trail comes down to that big bowl?" asked Terry, pointing to the huge, circular cavity below them.  
"Of course."
 
"Well, that's a mistake; that isn't the right trail."
 
Fred turned about, and jumped and ran back to the Devil's Punch Bowl, at a rate that threatened his neck. Stooping over, he carefully examined the path. He saw that his companion was right; the trail which they had followed to the edge of the stream was one that had been worn by animals in coming to and going from the Punch Bowl. You will admit that no better punch in the wide world could be furnished the dumb beasts than that which was thus freely given to them.
 
As if to confirm that which did not need confirming, a large at that moment appeared in the path, within a hundred feet of where Fred had straightened up, after examining the trail. He threw up his head on sight of the young hunter, gave one quick, inquiring stare and then whirled about and was off like a flash.
 
Fred Linden could have brought him down at the moment he wheeled had he chosen to do so, but he recalled his own proposition to Terry some time before, about firing such a shot. Indeed, since they had some of the cooked steak left, there was no call to use any more for game.
 
Terry Clark came laughing down the rocks, looking upon the whole business as one of the funniest of incidents, but to Fred it was any thing but a laughing matter. Time was becoming of the utmost value, and this from the trail meant delay—a delay, too, whose length could not be guessed. If they had turned aside several miles back, it was more than likely that they would lose all the advantage gained by the travel of the night before.330
 
"How could we have made such a blunder?" asked Fred, his eyes wandering back over the path, as though searching for an explanation of the mistake; "I suppose at the point where the trails cross the direction isn't changed much and this is more distinct than the other. Terry, I can't see any thing about this to laugh at."
 
"I don't obsarve much of the same mesilf," said the other, whose face nevertheless was on abroad grin; "I wasn't laughing at yersilf, or the mistake we made."
 
"What was it then that amused you so much?"
 
"I was thinkin' how funny it looked to see the deer and bears and and foxes and panthers all round that big bowl and winkin' at each ither while they drank their health."
 
"Terry, there's going to be trouble because of this blunder."
 
"What do ye signify be the same?"
 
"I believe that all the advantage we gained by traveling so hard last night is lost. When we follow this trail back until it reaches the main one, more than likely we shall meet the Winnebagos at that point, if they will not actually be between us and the camp in the Ozarks."
 
"I'm afeard it's not all a falsehood that ye are telling me," said Terry, with an expression in which there was nothing like a jest.
 
"Let's be off then."
 
At this the Irish lad made a proposition which his companion accepted, for he thought it promised them much saving in time and travel.
 
It was quite certain that the false trail followed pretty much the same direction as the true one: at any rate there could be no doubt that it crossed the stream which had stopped them, so instead of picking their way back for several miles, they to keep along the edge of the water itself until they struck the path.
 
To make sure of avoiding another blunder, one should have gone up and the other down stream, for manifestly they could not be certain they were above or below the true path; but each felt too strong a about such332 a course. Their surroundings required support.
 
Beside this, they were convinced that the trail which they wished to recover lay above instead of below, so that, when making their way they were not held back by any doubt, though each could not fail to see that it was only a piece of guess-work.
 
Fortunately for their peace of mind, they were right, and the plan saved them much time and travel. They had not gone very far, when they came upon the path, marked so distinctly that there could be no possible mistake.
 
The width of the stream was about the same as below. The water was smooth, deep, clear and . The bank sloped gently down from each side and on the other shore were plainly seen the prints of the where the animals had left the water. It was so deep that whoever went over there had done so by floating or swimming.
 
The crossing was so far above the point where the began, that nothing was to be feared from them. The clumsiest raft could be ferried over by a child before it would drift into danger, while in case of swimming, the was still less.
 
"If it wasn't so chilly," said Fred, "I would propose that we swim the stream."
 
Terry shivered and shook his head.
 
"We must go over on a raft; it is not only cowld, but is gittin' cowlder."
 
"There's a storm ; it looks as black as ink off yonder."
 
At this moment the boys made a discovery which both pleased and alarmed them. Such a float as they needed was at their call. There lay a half dozen logs and trees fastened together by several withes, and with enough buoyancy to bear them to the other side. Even the pole to be used in propulsion lay upon the heavy timbers that were pulled just far enough against the bank to prevent them floating off with the current.
 
While it was pleasant to know that they would not have to go through the of constructing any thing of the kind,............