"Yes, it was I," nodded Ned. "We had been sleeping within a rod of each other nearly all night and didn't know it. I had stumbled along after the Professor got to sleep. In the darkness of course I did not see him, and in his sound sleep he did not hear me."
"That's the funniest mix-up I ever heard of," chuckled young Mr.
Phipps. "What did you do for food?"
"Master Ned, it seems, had shot two rabbits which he intended to take back to our camp. When he found that he too was lost, he built a fire and cooked them. What he did not need at once he wrapped up in his handkerchief and carried along with him—"
"Yes, we found the remnants of the jack rabbits," Tad informed them.
"We picked up your rifle later, as well."
"Good," brightened Ned. "I had to throw it away. I had about all I could do to carry myself."
"Well, the rabbits saved us from starvation."
"Yes, but how did you happen to find Dick Munson, or he to find you?" queried Phipps.
"We wandered out of the mountains and lost ourselves in the foothills. How we got so far south I do not know. This morning we saw a horseman and shouted until we attracted his attention. The horseman proved to be the very man we wanted to see—Mr. Richard Munson himself."
"I—I am the only one who didn't fall in," piped Stacy, which caused everyone to laugh.
"We heard you shooting," said Walter. "I wish we might have had some of that rabbit meat. We nearly starved up there."