finding their way. But Isaiah told them he thought they would not have
any difficulty on that account, as there were very few roads in such a
new country. He said that, if they kept the principal road, they could
get along without any trouble.

So Marco and Forester concluded to go on, while Isaiah returned. Isaiah
said that he was not afraid to return alone. He said also that, if he
found the horse at the tree, he would turn about and come and overtake
them. And if he did not find him there, he would walk on home, and come
the next day with their trunk.

Marco and Forester then went back to the place where they had dined, and
collected together all the food which had been left, thinking that they
might possibly have occasion to use it, before getting to the end of
their journey. They also took the hatchet with them, and bidding Isaiah
good-by, they set forth upon their solitary journey.

The road, though rough and narrow for wheels, was very good for a
foot-path, and the travellers went on for several miles without
difficulty, and with good courage. There was an unbroken forest on each
side of the way, with here and there a solitary bird in the topmost
branches, singing in melancholy notes, which echoed far and wide under
the endless colonnades of trees. After they had gone on about four
miles, they met a man coming with a team, who told them that there was
no road of any consequence to turn them off, and that they would,
therefore, probably find their way without much trouble. They were quite
pleased to hear this. In fact, it was some relief to them to know that
they were right, so far.

Marco was, however, not much accustomed to walk, and Forester, to
accommodate him, advanced slowly. When they had gone about five or six
miles, the shades of evening began to draw on. The days were getting
shorter at this season of the year, and then, besides, it happened that,
on this evening, there were some dark clouds in the west, and the sun
was darkened behind them before the regular hour of his going down.
Then, besides, the trees of the forest made it darker in the road in
which Marco and Forester were travelling.

Now, just as it was thus beginning to grow dark, they happened to come
to a place where the road divided, and Marco and Forester were both
puzzled to decide which was the one which they must take. The roads
seemed to be nearly equally travelled, though it was so dark that they
could not see very well. They exam