"I can imagine so, Mark. But it's too bad you had to leave under such a cloud." "Yes, that is the one thing that makes me sad. My step-father will never believe in my innocence." "Yes, but he can't prove that you took that money." "No, but it looks black against me." "Maybe he won't think you guilty--if you come home with a big bag of gold." "Maybe that's true--as Dixon would say," and Mark smiled faintly. "Mr. Powers thinks a heap of money." "Well, so do we--or we wouldn't undergo these hardships to get it." The boys trudged along until they reached the edge of some timber, and here came to a gurgling brook, where they stopped for a drink. They were about to go on, when Bob pointed to some prairie hens, sitting in a bit of a clearing a hundred or more yards away. "Let us both fire," whispered Mark. "You can fire to the right and I'll fire to the left." Bob was willing, and creeping a little closer they raised the guns. "All ready?" "Yes." "Then fire!" Bang! bang! went the two shotguns, almost as one piece, and two of the prairie hens fell over while three more began to flutter around wildly. The others lost no time in disappearing into the timber. "Come, we must get the wounded ones, too!" cried Bob, and started forward. One was caught with ease and its neck wrung. Then a second flew straight up into Bob's face. "Hi! get out of that!" screamed poor Bob and tried to beat the fowl off. As he did this Mark caught it from behind and quickly dispatched it. Then Bob caught the other fowl and killed that too; and the brief excitement came to an end. "Five prairie hens," said Mark, surveying the game. "Not so bad for a start." "One thing, we won't go back skunked," answered his chum, with a grin. "Oh, we are going to get a good lot more game than this, Bob." "I trust so. But 'you can't vos alvays somedimes dell,' as the Dutchman said," added the former sailor lad. With the game slung over their shoulders, they advanced into the timber, finding a trail which seemed to run due westward. They had not gone far before they caught sight of a small deer and both went after it on a run, but it got away from them behind some trees. "We must go ahead with more caution after this," said Mark. "We are making too much noise." In less than an hour they found themselves in the very heart of the forest. Great trees grew on all sides of them, and the monstrous roots were anything but easy to climb over. In one spot were thick masses of vines, utterly barring their further progress in that direction. "Say, I don't like this!" exclaimed Bob at last. "This forest is getting thicker and thicker." "Just my idea," answered Mark. "I thought we would be through to the other side before this." "It's wider than I imagined. Perhaps it keeps on for miles, Mark." They came to a halt, not knowing exactly what to do. Then Mark scratched his head. "Shall we go back, Bob?" "Not if we can reach that river by going ahead."