"There's no need of freezing to death, if I am lost," he said to himself. "Things are so bad now that they can't be much worse, and I may as well make the best of a bad bargain."
By feeling carefully around he succeeded in getting together a small quantity of decaying wood, and this he lighted after some difficulty.
"It's lucky I had to cook dinner to-day, or I shouldn't have had a match." he said, grimly, as he sat about gathering more fuel.
In a short time he had a cheerful blaze, and the warmth, which was so grateful, served to revive his courage.
Slowly the hours passed.
Now and then he fell into a light slumber, but only for a few moments at a time, and it seemed as if forty hours must have elapsed before the sun lightened the sky again.
Toasting some of the crackers on the coals, and refreshing himself with water from a tiny stream, he made ready to continue his search.
Now he took his bearings carefully, with the sun as a guide, and, knowing the lake must lie to the west, pushed straight across the wilderness.
One, two, three hours, and then his heart was made glad by a glimpse of the water.
Never had anything looked as beautiful as did the lake at that moment.