There were some rocks too lying under this
tree. Forester walked up to them and sat down. Marco followed his
example.
"Well, Marco," said Forester, "we are really lost."
"And what are we going to do?" asked Marco, with a countenance of
great concern.
"The first thing is," said Forester, "to open the knapsack, and see
what there is inside that is good to eat."
So Forester took the knapsack off from his shoulders, - for he had
taken it from Marco some time before, and laying it upon a large
flat stone by his side, he began to open it, and to take out the
provisions.
Forester was afraid that he and Marco had got themselves into somewhat
serious difficulty, but he wished to teach Marco that in emergencies
of such a nature, it would do no good to give way to a panic, or to
unnecessary anxiety. So he assumed an unconcerned and contented air,
and made arrangements for the luncheon, just as if they had stopped
there to eat it of their own accord, and without being in any
difficulty whatever about the prosecution of the journey.
Marco, however, seemed to be quite uneasy.
"What are we going to do?" said he. "If we get lost in this
snow-storm, we shall have to stay in the woods perhaps all night."
"Yes," said Forester, "that we can do. We have done that before."
Forester here alluded to an occasion on which he and Marco had spent
the night in a hut in the woods, when traveling in Maine.
"But we had an axe then," said Marco, "to make a camp."
"Yes," replied Forester, "that is true. I don't think, however, that
we shall have to stay in the woods all night now. We have _three_
chances for avoiding it."
"What are the three?" said Marco.
"Why, in the first place," replied Forester, "we can stay where we are
until it stops snowing, - in fact it has almost stopped now. Then I
presume that the sun will come out, and in half an hour melt away all
the snow. Then we can find our path again, and go on."
"But I don't think it is certain that we can find our path again,"
said Marco.
"Nor do I," said Forester, "but there's a chance of it. I did not say
that we had three certainties, but three chances."
"Well," said Marco; "go on; what are the other two?"
"If we can not find the path," said Forester, "either because the snow
does not melt, or for any other reason, then we can remain where we
are until night, and the people, finding that we do not come home,
will send up for us."
"And how can they find us?" asked Marco.
"Why, they will come up the path, of course, and we can not be very
far from the path, for we only lost it a few minutes before we came
here.
