he terrible feeling of bewilderment and dread which comes over
him who feels that he is lost where he may never find his way again,
perhaps never be found.

Fortunately these emotions come as a shock, and soon after there is a
reaction. Hope revives as it did to me, and getting over the first
horror and excitement, I stood leaning against the tree thinking out my
position. I was lost, that was certain; and if I went on stumbling
about in the dark I might perhaps be going either farther away from my
destination, or perhaps round and round in a great circle. Upon
thinking it out coolly there were two courses open: to lie down on a bed
of pine-needles till daylight, or to try and get a glimpse of the stars
through the trees, and guide myself by them.

"If I stay," I thought, "I shall frighten Mrs John horribly, and it
will be very cowardly. As to being lost altogether, that's all
nonsense; Mr Raydon and his men would soon find me or send Indians to
hunt me out. I'm going to find the way back."

I drew a long breath, closed my eyes, and knelt down there in the utter
darkness for a few minutes, to spring up again confident and refreshed
to begin peering up through the trees for the stars. For I wanted to
make out the Great Bear; and I quite laughed as I thought that it was
the shining one I sought, not a grizzly. If I could see that, I thought
I could shape my course due south-east. That must lead me out of the
forest, when, even in the darkness, the rest was easy.

It might have been the most cloudy night ever seen, for the blackness
above me was dense, the branches effectually shutting out every star,
and I had to pause and wonder whether there was any other way by which I
could steer my steps. But I could find no way out of my difficulty, and
I was beginning to think that I should have to stay where I was and wait
for day.

But I could not do that. I tried sitting down for a short time, but the
darkness and want of action became too oppressive, and leaping up I
began to walk slowly and carefully on, with my free hand extended to
guide myself by the trunks of the trees, of whose proximity I was,
however, generally made aware by my feet coming in contact with their
roots.

My progress was very slow, and so silent that I was able to listen
intently for a signal, the hope having sprung up in my breast that, as
it had grown dark, Mr Raydon might have sent Grey or one of the other
men to meet me, and in all pro