"It sure does that," was Elmer's reply.
"I can just make out something or other lying down there; it might be an old log, you know, and again, p'raps it ain't."
Lil Artha did not venture to say plainly that he more than half feared lest the object he could see might turn out to be poor Nat Scott. But that was a fact.
"Well, let's find out for sure."
Elmer, while speaking, was taking something from his pocket. It proved to be an old newspaper, from which he tore a sheet, crumpling it up into a ball.
"I generally carry a newspaper along when I go into the woods," he said in explanation. "And it's wonderful what a help it sometimes turns out to be in case you want to start a quick fire. Now for a match."
"I'm sorry now," remarked Lil Artha.
"About what?" asked the scout leader.
"That I didn't think to fetch it along—that new electric hand torch my father gave me on my birthday, you remember, Elmer?"
"Oh," laughed Elmer, "well, who'd ever think we'd have any need of a torch on this hike! Why, it was an altogether daylight affair, and we expected to be back home long before supper time. I even promised Mark to practice battery work some this afternoon. There, now watch when it drops. I hope there's nothing down there to take fire."