Soon a shout just ahead of them told the party that at last they had
found that which they were in search of.

Tad uttered a glad cry.

"Where are you?"

"Here," answered the voice of Stacy Brown.

Tad put spurs to his pony and dashed up to where he thought the voice
had come from.

"Where are the rest of the boys?"

"Got anything to eat?" asked Chunky, rousing himself to full
wakefulness.

"Yes, plenty. But where's Ned and Walter? Are they asleep?"
insisted Tad Butler half fearfully.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"Ned went off to hunt some game because we didn't have anything to
eat. He hasn't come back. Walt got crazy about it and I guess he
went out to look for him, though he didn't tell me he was going to--"

"What time was that?" interrupted Tad.