Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/173

 yet he was muscle-sore from ever plunging upward.

“We are just about to start in,” dryly informed Abner, catching and reading the youth’s surprised expression. “That’s why it’s easy for a man new to the woods to git lost. Every time he turns around he finds the scenery has shifted. When ye start out in the woods always take notice of yer general direction, and first look behind ye and mark the hills and mountains. Of course ye should carry a map such as the government survey turns out. Then, if the country is new to ye, ye should occasionally climb a tree and look back as well as ahead. Each time ye do it the back trails seem changed. A humped back mountain becomes round and the next time it may look square, according to yer angle. But it’s always yer mountain if ye don’t let it git away from ye. See that sharp pointed feller over there? It’s about six miles. Could ye make it to-day if there wasn’t any unusual obstacles in the way?”

“Certainly,” replied Stanley. “I would only have to keep this mountain at my back and my eyes fixed on the one in front.”

Abner chuckled. “The chances are ye would wind up on Round mountain. For after ye’d