"What's the matter?" asked Will eagerly. "See anything to eat?"
"No; but I see a good place to stay to-night. Here's a big cave."
Before them, opening off from the trail, was the mouth of a large cavern. It looked inviting, after their night spent in the open, with the heavy dews soaking them through.
"That's the stuff!" exclaimed Will. "Now if we only had something to eat!"
"Maybe we will strike another stream around——" began Jed, when his words were suddenly interrupted by a whirr of wings.
"Partridges!" exclaimed Will, as a number of birds flew up from the bushes in front of them.
"I don't know whether they're partridges or not," said Jed, "but they look good to eat. Got any shot cartridges?"
Will had some, and Jed, inserting one in his rifle, which in an emergency would shoot those shells, hurried forward. He was lucky enough to kill a couple of the birds, and in a short time the two hungry lads were roasting them over a fire they quickly kindled at the mouth of the cave.
As they intended to spend the night in the cavern they decided to explore it a bit, and, taking several torches, which they made from white birch bark, that is most excellent for that purpose, they set forward. They found the cave was a large one, and, having selected a secluded place, that was nice and dry, and far enough away from the entrance to insure of their being warm, they stretched out, and went to sleep, for they were utterly tired out with the day's fruitless tramp.
"Hello, it's morning!" suddenly announced Jed, as he awoke and looked at his watch, by the light of a match. "It's seven o'clock. Get up, Will."