Still, both of them were stalwart fellows, and able to do considerable along the line of carrying burdens. Their outdoor life had given them more strength than most boys of their age possessed.
Phil kept it up for quite a time.
“Better change off with me, now,” Ethan hinted, for the fifth time.
“All right, then, Ethan; just lay those things down where I can get them, and I’ll give you the boy. He’s some heft, believe me, and a pretty chubby lad for his age, which I shouldn’t take to be more than five, or six at the most.”
“But isn’t it queer he hasn’t come to, and asked us who we are, and where we’re taking him?” remarked the second boy, as he took the object of their solicitude into his arms.
“He’ll come out of it all right later on, I feel pretty sure,” Phil observed, as he loaded himself with the guns and camera, after which he started ahead of his companion so as to break the way.
“There’s a dash of color beginning to show in his cheeks, I do believe!” called out Ethan, presently.
Later on he had to hand his burden over to the other; and this sort of thing continued many times, until all of two hours had gone.
Both boys were growing very tired after their long tramp, and now with carrying their human burden, too. But Phil buoyed up the spirits of his chum by saving that they were close on the camp.
“I can see where the lake lies over yonder,” he remarked, when they chanced to be on a rise that gave them a chance to see around more or less; “and away over in that direction there’s a black smoke rising that must come from the camp of that other party with James Bodman.”