But early as it was Faith found Esther waiting for her.
“Did you bring anything to eat?” asked Esther.
“I never thought of it!” replied Faith, “and I don’t believe I could, anyway.”
“Well, I thought of it. I have a fine square of corn cake, a piece of cold venison, and a square of molasses cake,” said Esther, holding up a small basket. “Now, creep along on the edge of the trail until we are well up the ridge. Then we can walk as we please.”
Faith obeyed. She thought to herself how fortunate it was that Esther had come to live in the Wilderness, and that she was ready to help carry the message.
“Isn’t it lovely in the woods!” said Esther, as they reached the summit of the ridge, and turned to look back down the winding trail. “Father said this morning that the spring was early, and ’tis surely warm as summer.”
As they rested for a little while on a bank of firm green moss Faith told Esther of “Nooski’s” sudden appearance when she and Kashaqua were on their journey to the lake.
“Goodness!” exclaimed Esther, peering anxiously into the underbrush. “I hope we shan’t see any bears to-day, not even a tame one.”
The sun was high in the April skies when the two little girls came in sight of Lake Dunmore. The trail led near the lake; and Esther was very sure that she knew just where to look for the cave.
“It’s near a big pine tree, and you can only see rocks. Father showed me when we came from Brandon,” she said.