And should this prove to be the case Dick stood ready to thank his companion for being the cause of their wandering. What had promised to be a disaster might under such new conditions prove a blessing in disguise. At noon they halted only long enough to take a cold bite. Indeed, this might as well have been done while on the move, only that the boys had compassion on their horses, and wished to give them a little rest in the middle of a hot day. More than once Dick had raised himself in the stirrups as the afternoon wore on. Roger noticed this finally, and of course was curious to know why he did it. "Do you think you see anything ahead there, Dick?" he demanded. "I was noticing the formation of the land," came the calm reply; "and, Roger, unless I'm greatly mistaken, we're going to come on the river before the sun sets." "I only hope you're a good prophet, Dick, that's all," the other quickly returned, as he, too, looked long and earnestly ahead. "And now that you've called my attention to it, I do believe it looks promising over there. Well, for one, I'm fish hungry, and I don't care who knows it. It seems like a terribly long time since I felt a fish tug at a line." What Dick so confidently predicted came true. Just one hour later they no longer had the slightest doubt about the river lying ahead, for there were many things that went to prove this fact. Roger gave himself up to picturing the success that was bound to follow his fishing operations; for, as has been remarked, the boy never was happier than when engaged in his favorite occupation. "If we don't get there until about dark, Dick, promise me that you'll lay out our camp to-night close to the water, so that I can have my fill of fun without having to go far for it. Seems to me I don't want to lose sight of the water in a hurry again." "I feel pretty much the same way as you do, Roger," replied the other, frankly. "And so I can safely promise you what you ask. We'll sleep to-night so near the water that it will make music to put us to sleep." "The finest of music, too," ventured Roger; "especially after you've been silly enough to lose it for three nights running. But then I keep on hoping we may have gained something after all, which would make my blunder the easier to hear." "I'm sure that it will turn out to be so," added generous Dick. "And that we are right now closer to the exploring party than ever before; that would be just fine, eh, Dick?" "It certainly would, Roger. There, if you look yonder, you can see the sun shining on what can be nothing else than running water." "Yes, yes, that's what it must be, Dick; the river at last! I'll be glad to see our old friend again. Two months we've been following its course; until now we are so far away from our homes that it almost seems as if we might never get back there again. But it does look good to see the water again, and to know that perhaps we'll even have a taste of fresh fish soon."