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The Valiant Runaways by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton
page 74 of 170 (43%)

"That is too long ahead, and we have not enough wind to argue about it.
What are we going to do now? How shall we get horses to leave this
forest? Where shall we sleep to-night? What shall we have for dinner? I
could eat a whole side of venison."

"Well, you won't, my friend. Let me think."

After a time he said: "We must stay here until night. Then we will go
back to the pueblo if we can find the way. As for food, we can have none
to-day. There are no berries at this time of year, and we have nothing
to shoot game with. Other people have gone the day without food, and we
can. When we get back to the pueblo, even if we cannot reach the larder,
we can find the corral without being seen. I don't believe that the
soldiers have found it, and the Indians in charge of the mustangs will
let us have two when they know what has happened. Now, do not let us
talk. It will make us more hungry."

Adan groaned, but accepted the decree of silence. The day wore on to
noon, and in the unbroken stillness the boys ventured out of the grimy
tree and lay at full length on the turf. The great redwoods towered in
endless corridors, their straight columns unbroken by branch or twig for
a hundred and fifty feet. Through the green close arbours above came an
occasional rift of sunshine, but the aisles were full of cold green
light. The boys shivered in their coyote skin coats and drew close
together; they dared not run about to keep warm; they must husband their
strength, and hunger was biting. There was no wind in the tree-tops, no
murmur of creek, only the low hum of the forest, that in their strained
ear-sense grew to a roar. Finally they fell asleep, and it was dark when
Roldan awoke. He shook Adan.
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