Sometimes they walked down aisles unchoked by brush but full of
moving shadows, above which sounded the lonely continuous hooting of the
owl. Now and again bats whirred past, and once a startled wildcat
scurried across the path and darted up a tree, crying with terror.
"If we only don't meet a bear," thought Roldan, who dared not speak lest
his voice should shake courage and terrors apart.
It was midnight when Adan announced with what emphasis was left in
him,--
"We are lost."
Roldan answered through his teeth: "Yes, but I think I hear the creek.
When we find that, all we have to do is to follow it south."
"My heart is in the South," muttered Adan. "We might follow that."
"I am ashamed of you," said Roldan, with a lofty scorn which was good
for five words and no more.
It was a half hour later that they stood upon the high bank of the creek
and looked gratefully up at the broad strip of night light. After the
dense shadows of the forest the cold light of stars seemed more radiant
than noon-day.
"We cannot follow along the bank for more than a little way at a time,
on account of the ferns and brush," said Roldan. "We should walk three
times the distance, and perhaps get lost again.
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