ing but few fallen trunks, so I made much
better progress.

"I must get out of this," at last I said to myself; and so I continued
moving on, occasionally notching a tree with my axe, if I thought my
trail was not sufficiently distinct. "Of course they will follow," I
thought more than once. I did not, indeed, entertain a doubt about it.

I had reached the top of the hill, but the trees were too high to enable
me to see any of the country around. I could judge by the direction of
the sun's rays, however,--which had now drawn round, and were striking
in my face,--that I was steering westward, as before. I occasionally
stopped and looked back, expecting that my friends would overtake me;
and although I did not see them, I felt so sure that they must be close
behind that I continued my course.

On and on I went, when again I found myself descending, and thus knew
that I had crossed over a hill of some height; still the trees prevented
me from getting a view of the country beyond. At last I came to some
marshy ground of a similar character to that which I had met on the
other side of the lake, with sulphur springs in the centre. I had
therefore to make a detour to avoid it, but as the tall trees which grew
on the surrounding hills would not allow me to get a view of the
country, I could not determine in what direction to steer my course. I
did not perceive an important circumstance. Owing to the spongy nature
of the ground, into which my feet sank at every step, the marks were
soon obliterated, while I still supposed that my trail was sufficiently
defined to enable Manley and the sergeant to follow me.

I now mounted another hill, of a far more rugged character than the
former ones which I had passed over.

"Surely," I thought, "on the other side of this there must be open
ground, where I shall be able to see my way ahead, and select a spot for
our camp." The hill, however, proved to be even more rugged than I had
expected. Still I did not like to go back, though the farther I went the
wilder and more jagged it became.

At last I found myself scrambling along the summit of a precipice, until
I saw before me a foaming cascade falling down the precipitous rocks,
with lofty pinnacles rising above it. This formed a cataract which,
after a short course, ran into a lakelet at the foot of the cliffs;
while beyond was the open ground I had been hoping to find.

[Illustration: THE CASCADE.]

Although a good cragsman, my cli