“There must be a lot of them in that band,” declared Ed.
“Too many to be around loose; we ought to tell the dog-catchers,” laughed George.
“I’ve a hunch that we’ll have a fight with them some day,” prophesied Ed.
“Well, I hope it will come off in daylight,” said George, emphatically.
Then they sat down to plan a way out of the swamp. It was finally agreed that they would walk a certain distance, when, if they did not find the border, they would return. Then they would try the opposite direction for a like distance; and so on until they had tried every point of the compass. With the rising of the sun they were enabled to get the cardinal points of direction, and they traced them on the snow in front of the lean-to.
As George believed they had entered the swamp from the north, they started on their first trip in that direction. They found the snowfall quite deep, and knew it must be deeper in the woods outside. The lads were anxious to make their own way from the swamp if possible, and they determined not to fire the distress-signal until they had spent the morning in an effort to find themselves.
“I had no idea this swamp was so big,” declared Ed, after they had traveled for some time.
“Seems to stretch out in front of us as if it was made of elastic,” laughed George.
They halted abruptly and listened when the report of a gun broke the stillness. It was far off in the opposite direction. A minute passed, and then another shot was heard.
“Wonder if that is Ben signaling us?” said Ed.