so much alike here
in the darkness that I have felt helpless ever since we started; but we
must be many miles away from the plantation, and I hardly know how the
night has gone in this excitement; but it must be near morning."

"Must be," said Pete, "for my clothes are quite dry again, and I'm
getting thirsty. What are we going to do now?"

"Keep on, and coax the dogs more and more away. We must not let them go
back."

"No; that wouldn't do, Master Nic. On'y if they don't ketch anything
they'll get hungry, and if they gets hungry they'll grow zavage; and if
they grow zavage, what's going to happen then?"

"Wait till the trouble comes, Pete," replied Nic; "then we'll see."

"That's good zense, Master Nic; and I b'lieve them brutes are lying down
and resting zomewhere. Shall I give a whistle?"

"Yes; it would do no harm."

Pete uttered a low, piping sound such as would be given by a bird, and
it was answered by a bark which showed the direction; and, on turning
towards it, a minute had not elapsed before they heard the heavy panting
of the three animals, which sprang up and came to them, lolling out
their tongues to be caressed.

"Good old dogs, then," said Nic, patting their heads. "Go on, and take
us right away, and when it gets daylight you may all have a good sleep.
Hie on, then, boys; hie on! Right away."

The dogs threw up their heads, snuffed about a bit, and then started off
once more at a steady pace, which soon slowed down, and made the task of
following them in the darkness much less difficult. Then all at once
one of them uttered a low, whining sound and sprang off a little faster.

For the ground was more open here, the trees bigger, and the
undergrowth--the great hindrance--scarce.

"Better going here, Master Nic, if it waren't for the great roots
sticking out. Now, if the day would only break we should be able to zee
better what we were doing. My word! if we could only come across a good
wild-apple orchard it wouldn't be amiss."

"And that we shall not find."

"Never mind, zir; we'll find zum'at else--toadstools on the trees, or
wild berries, or zomething; and if them dogs don't run down anything
good for a roast, why, they don't come up to one of our old Devon
lurchers. If this was one of our woods we shouldn't be long without
something between our teeth. Don't you be downhearted; I'll find
zome'at we can eat."

"I am not downhearted, Pete; and, if we can do so in safety, we'll