"Oh, about twenty-five thousand miles, more or less," chuckled Elmer. "Gee, he's turned right around and is heading _away_ from the road, that's what," declared Nat, laughing softly. "A nice guide you'd be, Toby, old chum. Think of us floundering deeper and deeper into these blessed old woods, when every minute is worth a heap to us right now!" "But what did you let me do it for, Elmer?" complained the culprit. "Well, you started off as if you wanted to show us what you know about woodcraft; and I thought the chance to open your eyes a little too good to be lost," Elmer replied. "But we've wasted time by it," declared Toby, feeling disheartened. "Only a minute or two, and that doesn't count much beside the lesson it may be to a couple of scouts I know," said Elmer. "Tell us just how you know which way the road lies," said Nat. "Oh, that is as easy as falling off a log," came the crushing reply. "I just kept my eyes about me when we were coming in, and noted that we were moving due east at the time, with the breeze exactly on our right, and you remember it was coming out of the south a bit ago. If it had been daylight I'd have known the points of the compass from the direction of the sun; or, that failing, by the moss that nearly always grows on the north side of the trunks of forest trees. There are many ways for a wide-awake boy to find out these things; but only when he keeps his wits about him _all_ the time, and his eyes and ears open." "I guess you're right, Elmer," grunted Toby. "Time I woke up and began to do some tall thinking, if ever I'm going to get out of the greenhorn class." While the three were talking after this fashion, in low, cautious tones, Elmer had been leading the way in a confident fashion through the gloomy woods. Both the others were now more than a little curious to ascertain just how near the point where they had left Lil Artha their guide would fetch up. So far as they themselves were concerned it was by this time all a confused jumble. If asked to point out the proper direction neither could have done better than shut his eyes and thrust out a hand at random; for they were very much turned around, now that the clouds had rendered it impossible for them to even decide which direction was west. "Well, I declare!" ejaculated Toby, presently, "here's the bally old road, as sure as you're born, Nat!" "Elmer!" said a low voice, as some object moved near by. "And better still, here's Lil Artha!" declared Nat, lost in wonder as to how Elmer could have done such a remarkable stunt, and with hardly an effort, too. "Sure," came in the same low tone. "Where else should he be but here just where you left him? But say, Elmer, you were gone a long time." "Not a bit over five or six minutes," replied the leader, immediately; "and even then, we've had quite a lesson in woodcraft. Besides, Felix is half an hour behind, and there's little danger of his catching up, yet awhile."