y here all night, or are we to go on?" asked
the guide.

"I think we had better make camp for the night," decided Miss Elting.

"I reckon it would be a good idea. I'll make a line and dry out the
stuff. It's pretty wet," decided the guide.

Janus drove some stakes that he had cut down. Then, stringing a rope
between them, the two proceeded to hang up the wet bedding, which
consisted solely of soft, gray army blankets. He took the wet clothing
of the girls from the packs, hanging this on the line also, and a few
moments later the blankets and the garments were steaming. So was the
coffee pot. Bacon was the only other food put over for cooking. The
travelers were too hungry to care to wait long for their supper.

It was not long after Harriet and Jane had begun cooking the bacon
before they sounded the supper call. No one was late for supper that
night, and each sat down tired and travel-stained, but there was not a
word of complaint from either men or girls. They made merry over the
meal, made light of their misfortunes, and altogether enjoyed
themselves fully as well as if their circumstances had been different.

"What I should like to know is how those things got in the river?"
demanded Janus as the meal neared a close.

For a moment no one spoke. The guide's question was one which no
member of the little party was prepared to answer. So many unpleasant
events had occurred in such rapid succession that it was difficult to
place the cause of this latest disaster.

CHAPTER VII

HORSES GIVE THE ALARM

"Will you tell me where you placed the first packs when you came ashore
with them?" asked Harriet, turning to the driver.

"Right against the rocks."

"And behind that large boulder?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Oh, I saw where you threw the first pack down. It left the mark of
the rope in the soft dirt," explained the girl. "I am not gifted with
second sight, but I did see that. What I started to say was that I
know how the packs got in the river."

"You know?" asked Miss Elting.

"Yes. They were thrown in."

For a few impressive seconds no one spoke. Janus combed his whiskers
with the fingers of one hand. Jim, the driver, sprang to his feet, his
face crimson with anger.

"I won't stand for that. Why should I throw the old stuff in the
river?" he demanded indignantly.

"I beg your pardon. I did not accuse you of it," said Harriet. "I
know you did not. It was some other per