Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/355

 “Big Nick will know where we are because of those blamed crows,” growled Stanley.

Bub halted and sounded the note of the owl and the nuisance faded away, only the sullen flapping of their wings indicating their course.

“If you could only drive all enemies away as easily,” panted Stanley.

“Whew! Let’s rest,” said Bub, wiping the sweat from his brow. “If I’d known I was to be chased all over northwestern Maine by murderers I’d asked Hatton to raise my pay two dollars a week. I think it’s worth it.” And he grinned lamely.

“How much daylight will we have?” anxiously asked Stanley.

“In the woods here it will get dark early. Out of the woods we’d have the sun till about seven thirty-three. Then we have the moon till past midnight.”

“Do we travel, or do we camp?”

“We’ll take one more try from a tree top for the campfire of those scoundrels,” slowly decided Bub. “Then we might as well rest up and cook some boobies. We can’t get through to-morrow without food. And this chasing through the woods doesn’t help us to find Abner.”

“I don’t see as we can stand much chance of