Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/175

 himself from inquiring, “Do we follow this ridge to the top?”

“I was waiting for that,” chuckled Abner, blazing another tree. “No, not to the top, but as far as we go. Now, ask again.”

“Well, I did want to know why you do it, seeing how plain the way is. All you have to do is to keep the black growth in front of you. On each side it is light and one would have to be a blind man to leave the ridge. It would be like quitting the peak of a roof. Couldn’t you find your way up without the blaze?”

“Land of sin,” cried Abner, “I’d hoped better of ye. Can’t ye see I am making a back blaze? No one coming up the mountain can see these signs. They’re to be used when we come down, if we want to come this way.”

“But if you make a blaze at the stopping point and find that point when you want to return all you’ve got to do is to descend,” insisted Stanley, believing he must be right.

Abner sighed in despair. “Ever come down a strange mountain covered with timber?” he asked.

Stanley replied in the negative and the cruiser continued, “Then never try it unless ye’ve back-blazed; that is, don’t try it unless ye’ve got lots of time to spare and grub to eat.