"Yes," replied Forester, "that is true. I don't think, however, that we shall have to stay in the woods all night now. We have three chances for avoiding it."
"What are the three?" said Marco.
"Why, in the first place," replied Forester, "we can stay where we are until it stops snowing,--in fact it has almost stopped now. Then I presume that the sun will come out, and in half an hour melt away all the snow. Then we can find our path again, and go on."
"But I don't think it is certain that we can find our path again," said Marco.
"Nor do I," said Forester, "but there's a chance of it. I did not say that we had three certainties, but three chances."
"Well," said Marco; "go on; what are the other two?"
"If we can not find the path," said Forester, "either because the snow does not melt, or for any other reason, then we can remain where we are until night, and the people, finding that we do not come home, will send up for us."
"And how can they find us?" asked Marco.
"Why, they will come up the path, of course, and we can not be very far from the path, for we only lost it a few minutes before we came here. Of course they will come up very near to this place;--and they will come shouting out, every few minutes, as loud as they can, and so we shall hear them."
"Yes," said Marco, "I see; that is a pretty good chance."