. Wait for me every
little while. Whistle twice if anything goes wrong."

"How about one whistle if everything's all right?" Tim asked. "Then
you'll know where I am if I change direction."

"All right," Don agreed, and Tim slipped away among the trees.

After that Don followed the sound of soft, guarded whistles. The
combination of a cane and a bad foot made it slow work. Once he tried to
hurry, and the ankle stabbed him cruelly. He was all right so long as he
used the foot carefully, and he sighed and resigned himself to a snail's
pace. Every now and then he would come upon Tim, standing like a
statue--waiting and listening. Once Tim took off the bandages, wet them,
and put them back.

When the job was finished, Tim gave him a hand and helped him up. They
stood looking at each other. Each boy read something in the other boy's
eye. An embarrassed grin twisted Tim's mouth.

"You're all right," Don said suddenly.

"Well--" Tim looked away. "I'm going to be."

The flight with the treasure was resumed. Tim disappeared ahead. Almost
immediately he was back.

"We've got to swing out," he said. "There's a lot of tangled underbrush
near the brook. We'll go more to the west."

"That will carry us over toward our old trail," said Don.

Tim nodded. They both knew what that meant. Either Eagles or Foxes had
been following the blaze. The dangers of a meeting were increased.

They had completely lost track of distance. They did not know how far
they were from the edge of Lonesome Woods. They did not even know where
they were.

The flight slowed down to a cautious advance. So slow did they go that
Don's tender foot scarcely impeded them. Tim would go out in front and
come back, and then go off to the sides. He ranged about tirelessly. And
always his whistle, low, soft, kept guiding.

There came a time when for a quarter of an hour the whistle did not
sound. Don became alarmed. Which way to continue he did not know. In
doubt he stopped. He heard a stirring off to his right, and quickly
faced that way. Tim stole toward him.

"I think I heard something," he whispered.

They listened, but heard only forest noises.

"Careful," warned Tim, and slipped away once more.

Don watched him until he disappeared. Following, he made sure not to
stray from the direction Tim had taken. He limped around trees, and tried
to avoid places where there were deep leaves and dead branches, because
leaves and branches made noise.

Sudden