like his. But here we are down. How're you feeling, son?"

"P-p-pretty r-r-rocky," declared Toby, who was sitting up when they
reached him, and seemed to be trembling all over, as the result of the
nervous strain to which he had been subjected.

"Don't blame you a bit," declared Max, who saw that the poor chap had in
truth suffered considerably. "Lots of fellows would have thought the same
as you did, Toby. I might myself, if I'd slipped down that way in the
dark. Here, grab hold with me, Steve, and we'll help Toby home."

"Anyhow," admitted Toby, as they put their arms about him, "I'm g-g-glad
you did c-c-come. R-r-reckon I'd f-f-fainted if I just had to let
g-g-go."

"Rats! I don't believe it," scoffed the unbelieving Steve.

Once they reached the trapper's cabin, and came under the cheerful
influence of that crackling fire, even Toby's spirits rose again. He had
by this time recovered some of his usual grit, and could afford to laugh
with the rest at his recent experience.

It was about as Trapper Jim suspected.

Toby had been tempted to follow the lame rabbit for some little distance
into the woods. Finally, finding that he had gone pretty far, and with
night closing in rapidly all around him, the boy had started to return.

Becoming a little confused, he had stumbled one way and another, and in
the end fallen over the edge of the shallow sink.