bats whirred past, and
once a startled wildcat scurried across the path and darted up a tree,
crying with terror.

"If we only don't meet a bear," thought Roldan, who dared not speak
lest his voice should shake courage and terrors apart.

It was midnight when Adan announced with what emphasis was left in
him,--

"We are lost."

Roldan answered through his teeth: "Yes, but I think I hear the creek.
When we find that, all we have to do is to follow it south."

"My heart is in the South," muttered Adan. "We might follow that."

"I am ashamed of you," said Roldan, with a lofty scorn which was good
for five words and no more.

It was a half hour later that they stood upon the high bank of the
creek and looked gratefully up at the broad strip of night light. After
the dense shadows of the forest the cold light of stars seemed more
radiant than noon-day.

"We cannot follow along the bank for more than a little way at a time,
on account of the ferns and brush," said Roldan. "We should walk three
times the distance, and perhaps get lost again. I am going to wade.
Will you?"

"Madre de dios! And get rheumatism? My teeth clack together at the
thought."

"You will not be able to keep still long enough to get rheumatism, my
friend. By the grace of Mary we shall be on horseback all day
to-morrow. The water is not a foot deep, and the chill only lasts a
moment. Take off your boots."

"What is left of them," muttered Adan. But they were better than no
boots, and he took them off, and slung them round his neck. Roldan
scrambled down the bank and plunged into the creek. Adan, after a
moment's hesitation, followed with audible reluctance. He thrust the
tip of one foot into the icy water, withdrew it with a shout, tried the
other; then seeing that Roldan was splashing far ahead, jumped in with
both feet and ran along the slippery rocks, wondering when the change
of temperature would occur. His teeth clattered loudly. He pulled in
and executed a war-dance on the stones, then sat down on a fallen
boulder and rubbed his feet violently. Roldan kept steadily on, mindful
of his dignity as leader; but only as Adan joined him had his teeth
ceased from clattering and the warmth crawled back to his feet.

Cold, hungry, inexpressibly weary, the boys plodded on, sometimes in
the clear light of stars, sometimes under the chill blackness of
meeting trees. Fish and other slimy things darted across their feet;
they stepped to their waists