As it was nearly nightfall, they decided to postpone the blasting until the morning.
Around the campfire, after supper, they chatted and listened while Nate told stories of the forest. One of Nate’s stories was about the search that he had once led for a camper that had gotten lost in the forest, and how he had been found just in time to prevent death from starvation and exposure. This led to a discussion on the part of the boys as to the foolishness of campers in straying so far away from their party as to become lost.
“It’s a crazy thing for one unused to the woods to do,” declared Dick. “And yet it seems such a simple thing to do to keep from starving in the woods. I know I wouldn’t suffer.”
“That’s a pretty broad statement to make, young fellow,” warned Nate.
“I know I could do it,” persisted Dick. “First place I’ve learned a lot of things from practical experience since I’ve been in the woods, and second place, ever since I was a kid and in the Boy Scouts, I’ve studied about it.”
“You might make it for a couple of days, but that’s a long time unless you’re used to the woods and know them end for end and backwards and forwards,” said Nate.
“Could live a week easy, and if I could live that long, will you concede that I’d spend a summer safely and without starving?” asked Dick.
“Don’t believe you could,” said Nate.
“Say, listen, I’ll wager anything I’ve got that I can do it, and by gosh, I’m going to do it anyway, whether you fellows take me up or not,” he announced stubbornly.
They ragged him for awhile and then saw that he was in dead earnest about the matter. From that point the talk developed into whether or not the trick could be turned, and finally they agreed to let Dick try if he wanted to. To make it a fair test, however, they made him agree that if twenty-four hours passed without his being able to get a meal in the woods, that he would come out and admit it was a failure.