"But I don't think it is certain that we can find our path again," said Marco. "Nor do I," said Forester, "but there's a chance of it. I did not say that we had three certainties, but three chances." "Well," said Marco; "go on; what are the other two?" "If we can not find the path," said Forester, "either because the snow does not melt, or for any other reason, then we can remain where we are until night, and the people, finding that we do not come home, will send up for us." "And how can they find us?" asked Marco. "Why, they will come up the path, of course, and we can not be very far from the path, for we only lost it a few minutes before we came here. Of course they will come up very near to this place;--and they will come shouting out, every few minutes, as loud as they can, and so we shall hear them." "Yes," said Marco, "I see; that is a pretty good chance." "The third chance for us," said Forester, "is to go down into the first glen or valley that we can find, and then we shall probably come to a stream. Then we can follow the stream down to the river." "How do you know that it goes to the river?" asked Marco. "All mountain streams do, of course," said Forester. "They go down wherever they can find a valley or a hollow,--joining together and taking in branches as they proceed,--until they get down into the level country, and then they flow to the nearest river, and so to the sea. Now I know that the river takes a bend around this mountainous tract, and almost surrounds it, and all the streams from it must flow into the river without going very far. We could follow one down, though we should probably find the way very rough and difficult." "Let us try it," said Marco. This plan was decided upon, and so, when the snow squall was entirely over and the sun had come out Marco and Forester, taking their departure from the great tree and guiding their course by the sun, the travelers set out, proceeding as nearly in a straight line as possible, intending to go on in that manner until they should come to some stream, and then to follow the stream down to the river. The plan succeeded perfectly well. They soon descended into a valley, where they found a little brook flowing over a bed of moss-covered stones. They followed this brook down for about a mile, when they came to a junction between the brook that they were following and another one. After this junction of course the stream was larger, and in many places they found it difficult to get along. The way was encumbered with bushes, rocks, and fallen trees, and in one place the stream flowed in a foaming torrent through the bottom of a deep chasm, with sides rising directly out of the water. Here the travelers were obliged to find a way at a distance from the brook--guiding themselves, however, by the sound of its roaring. After passing the chasm, they got back to the stream again.