"Quite right, son," remarked the trapper; "but I allow this fellow has got me guessing good and hard, and that's a fact."
"You mean because he's quit trying to hide his trail?" asked Steve.
"Well, partly that, but there's another thing," Trapper Jim went on to say.
"I think I'm on to it," observed Max.
"Well, I saw you look some surprised at the time, son," declared the trapper. "But Steve, here, saw nothing. Did you notice, Steve, which way we headed at the time we first picked up the trail at the sprung trap?"
"Why, yes, it was almost due south, wasn't it?" asked Steve.
"Right, son, and look at the sun now," the trapper remarked.
"Gee, that's queer!" muttered the surprised Steve.
"What is?" asked Max, smiling.
"The sun—why, it's swung around on the right. Say, don't tell me time's passed like that, and it's afternoon now. Why, we haven't felt hungry enough to tackle that bully lunch Max fetched along when he came back with the dog."