Hurrah, come on, Alan!
Brace up. It's all down hill, now. Here's for the woods and
broiled rabbit!"
In a new spurt of life another start was made and the two chums set
out down the slope. In one of Ned's hands was a rock. It was to be
the death warrant of any small animal, and his eyes were busy
examining each sheltered rocky nook and bush. Suddenly a feverish
hand caught his.
"Look," whispered Alan.
Ned's eyes followed his chum's gaze.
It was a spiral of thin smoke in the trees below.
With a shout, Ned sprang forward. Then he turned. Alan was
standing still. Ned's heart grew cold:
"See the smoke," Alan was repeating, "see the nice smoke. Maybe
it's a house on fire."
His friend was delirious. Ned flew to his side once more and again
his touch revived the exhausted boy. Almost five days of wandering
and the exhausting toil on the mesa had proved too much for the more
delicate Alan, and Ned realized with sickening horror that the
situation was critical.
"I'm all right, Ned," answered Alan when his chum was once more with
him; "just a little lightheaded.
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