They tasted very like burnt fish, too, when they were finally taken from their wand and the young folks drew up for the feast. They lacked salt and were burnt at the tail and raw at the head, but Skeeter picked the bones and pronounced them prime. "I believe it's getting mighty late and we have not found Jude Hanford's cabin yet. You stop stuffing now, Skeeter, and let's get along," said Frank, gathering up the gunnysacks and guns. "Do you think we had better cross this stream?" "Sure, if we go back, it will just take us home. We won't dare show our faces at camp unless we have at least the promise of some chickens and roasting ears. I hope to carry back some in the gunnysacks." "Of course we must go on," chorused the girls. "We are not one bit tired and if we go on we are sure to come to Jude's cabin." Go on they did, how far there was no telling. The path went down, down, down, but led only to another spring. The boys shot some squirrels and the girls found a vine laden with fox grapes. "Let's get all we can carry so we can make some jelly. Helen was wishing only the other day she had some. They make the best jelly going," said Lucy, and so they pulled all they could reach and decided the ones that hung too high would be sour. "Do you know I believe it's most supper time--I'm getting powerful empty," declared the insatiable Skeeter. "Supper time! Nonsense! I betcher 'tain't three o'clock," and Frank peered knowingly at the sun. "That mountain over yonder is so high, that's the reason the sun is getting behind it. I betcher anything on top of the mountain it is as light as midday." "I do wish we could find Jude's cabin. This has been the longest walk we ever have taken," sighed Lil. "Not that I am the least bit tired." Lil was not quite so robust as Lucy, but wild horses would not drag from her the admission that she could not keep up with her chum. "Let's sit down a minute and rest," suggested Frank, "and kinder get our bearings. I'm not sure but perhaps it would be less loony if we start right off for home." The sun had set for them and it was growing quite gloomy down in the valley where the path had finally led them. Of course they well knew that it was shining brightly on those who were so fortunate as to be on the heights, but the thing is they were in the depths. "All right, let's go home," agreed Skeeter. "We will strike them at supper, I feel sure." They retraced their steps, stopping occasionally to argue about the trail. There seemed to be a great many more bypaths going up the mountain than they had noticed going down. "This is right. I know, because here is the fox grape vine we stripped on the way down," cried Lucy, when there was more doubt than usual about whether or not they were on the right road. "Well, more have grown mighty fast," declared Skeeter. "Look, this is still full." "But we couldn't reach the high ones and decided like Brer Fox that they were sour."