Page:Hugh Pendexter--The young timber-cruisers.djvu/388

 food fer so long I don’t know how it looks. My strength is most gone.”

“We don’t need strength,” reminded Bub. “We need your knowledge of the woods. If they’d only dropped a gun when they ran away we’d stick right here.”

“Wal, ye’ve saved old Abner,” sniveled the veteran, “and I guess it’s up to him to return the compliment. Lem’me take the lead.”

Although weak from exhaustion and his long fast Abner got his second wind and in a few moments was picking a course to the southeast with all the caution and skill he had command of.

“Did you hear the guns?” whispered Bub, over Stanley’s shoulder.

“I did,” replied Abner. “I don’t understand it. It mixes me up. If I knew what Nick and that other fiend was shooting at I’d be a great deal easier in my mind. But I can’t figger it out. They must have seen the wind moving a bush and let go at it. That is, Pete prob’ly did. Nick wouldn’t make that mistake.”

“Where to now?” inquired Stanley.

“In a straight line till it’s safe to hit Briar stream. Then we follow that back to Carlton’s.”