"Well," observed Jack, as evening drew on apace, "we might have been a whole lot worse off. The tent hasn't leaked a drop, that I've noticed; and thanks to the stove we've been comfortable enough. Let's hope it'll rain itself out during the night, and give us a chance to get moving tomorrow." This did not prove to be the case, for it turned out to be one of those easterly storms that usually last the better part of three days, with almost a constant downpour, though not very heavy at any time. When another day came, it was still dark and gloomy, though not raining just then. They managed to get a chance to stretch themselves outside before it set in again. Steve was the one who did most of the complaining, though Toby grumbled quite a bit also. Along toward noon, it brightened up some. Toby even declared with bated breath that he fancied he glimpsed a tiny patch of blue sky, "large enough to make a pair of trousers." "But the signs all show that it's clearing off," observed Steve, exultantly, fixing his weather-sharp eye on the aforesaid patch of azure sky. "You know the old saying is, 'Between eleven and two it'll tell you what it's going to do,' so I'm counting on our having a decent afternoon of it." His prediction proved to be correct. The clouds began to part, and at exactly noon, according to Jack's watch, the sun looked out from behind the dark curtains that had hidden his genial face for so long a spell. "It'll take the whole afternoon for the woods to get decently dry again," Jack was saying just then; "so we'll have to keep quiet for a little spell. But I've got a scheme on foot that will take two of us away all of tomorrow, and perhaps the day afterwards, leaving one to guard the camp. And you two fellows must toss up to see who goes, and who stays." CHAPTER XVII THE PROSPECTORS "Well, for one, I don't want to be kept in suspense so long," Toby began; "and I move we settle that question right away, Steve, by drawing straws." "After all, it had better be you who goes with Jack, Toby," the other generously went on to say. "To tell you the truth I'm a little afraid that heel of mine hasn't just given up the fight yet, and a very long tramp just now might make it hurt again like sixty." "No, that wouldn't be fair," urged Toby, doggedly. "You've got to take your chance at it. If I do go I want to feel that I'm not cheating you out of your opportunity. I like to have a clean conscience. Here, Jack, you hold the straws. The one who gets the shorter stays behind; that's understood. And Steve shall draw first, because I picked the straws." Evidently, there could hardly be a more conscientious boy that Toby Hopkins, for he was always looking out for the rights of the other fellow. That was the main reason why Jack Winters had chosen him for one of his closest chums. He knew he could depend on Toby to do the right thing every time.