“That’s all, fellows,” he said, turning back to them. “I reckon we had better do as the Professor suggests, and get under way at once. I will confess that this bracing air is having some effect on my appetite.”
“Don’t speak of it,” begged Stacy. “I am trying to forget that I have an appetite, but it’s awful hard work.”
“Too bad about the mule, isn’t it?” asked Rector soberly.
Tad nodded.
“Yes, I should say it is,” agreed Stacy. “There’s eight dollars of my good money gone down into that hole.”
“Never mind. He was wind-broken and undoubtedly would have played out before we got through the mountains. I am glad it wasn’t the other one,” answered Butler cheerfully. “How is the trail ahead, Professor?”
“I haven’t looked.”
Bidding them wait until he made an inspection, Tad walked ahead. He found the narrow trail filled with dirt and shale rock; there were many tons of it heaped up on the trail.
“Oh, fudge!” laughed the boy. “Fate is determined 84to make us turn back. But we won’t! We are going through, even if we have to build a tunnel. Get out the shovel, Ned.”
This necessitated undoing the bundle that held all the tools of the outfit, and also entailed the unloading of the pack on the back of the remaining pack mule. Ned soon came trotting up with the shovel. He uttered a long-drawn whistle when he saw the blocked trail.