“All right, but first let’s make a mark on one of these peaks.”
They did so by digging out a hollow with their hunting knives, and placing some stones in it. This accomplished, they started off again.
“What about the deer you shot?” asked Nat.
“We’ll not try to get back to that. Make for camp is what I say. Long Gun will probably be able to find the deer.”
It was getting quite late now, and the sun was barely visible from over the peaks of the bad lands. But turning their backs to it they started off. They did not know how far they went, but it was getting dusk rapidly, and they saw no indication that they were getting nearer to the edge of the curious region in which they were lost.
“Well?” asked Nat dejectedly as he sat down on a stone. “How about it?”
“We don’t seem to be getting any closer to camp,” admitted Jack. “Say!” he exclaimed, “why didn’t we think of it before? We ought to yell.”
“Yes, and fire our rifles,” added Nat. “That’s what Long Gun told us to do if we got lost. Queer we didn’t think of it long ago. Well, here goes!”
He raised his voice in a loud shout, and Jack joined in. They called several times, but the echoes seemed to be their only answer.
“Now let’s fire a few shots,” proposed Jack, and they discharged their weapons together, making a terrible din, and causing so many echoes that it seemed as if a thunderstorm was in progress.