“What’s the matter?” said he; “where are we?” He smiled sheepishly as the other boys laughed at him.
“A good way from home, you’ll find,” answered John.
The smell of fresh smoke came to their nostrils from the fire, which had been built for some time. So quiet had the men been about their work that they had left the boys undisturbed for the best part of an hour. They themselves had been accustomed to taking the trail even earlier in the day than this.
“Good morning, young gentlemen,” said Alex, quietly. “I hope you slept well.”
“Well,” said Jesse, grinning, “I guess I did, for one.”
“You’ll been hongree?” smiled Moise at the fireside.
“Awfully!” said John. “I could eat a piece of raw bear meat.”
“So?” grinned Moise. “Maybe you’ll seen heem before we get through, hein? She’ll not been very good for eat raw.”
“Nor any other way, according to my taste,” said Alex, “but we’ll see how we like it cooked, perhaps.”
“Do you really think we’ll see any bear on this trip?” asked Rob.