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. Of course they will come up very near to this place;--and they
will come shouting out, every few minutes, as loud as they can, and so
we shall hear them."
"Yes," said Marco, "I see; that is a pretty good chance."
"The third chance for us," said Forester, "is to go down into the
first glen or valley that we can find, and then we shall probably come
to a stream. Then we can follow the stream down to the river."
"How do you know that it goes to the river?" asked Marco.
"All mountain streams do, of course," said Forester. "They go down
wherever they can find a valley or a hollow,--joining together and
taking in branches as they proceed,--until they get down into the
level country, and then they flow to the nearest river, and so to the
sea.
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