He and Max showed no signs of being in any unusual hurry as they left the cabin.  They started directly toward the west; and once out of sight of those left behind, Steve quickened his pace a bit; at least he “chirked up” and began to show more animation.

“A mile, you said, Max, didn’t you!” he asked.

“Why, yes, that ought to fully cover the distance,” came the reply.  “I shouldn’t think you could have caught any ordinary sound even as far as that.  Still, when the night is calm, it is wonderful how far even a groan will carry.  The atmosphere seems to be in a peculiar condition at such times, and acts as a splendid medium for conveying sounds.”

They looked to the right and to the left as they advanced.  Nothing escaped the eyes of those two chums, accustomed to the “Great Outdoors” as they were, and having long ago graduated in a knowledge of woodcraft.

Some little time passed thus.  They had so far seen and heard nothing calculated to impress them, though Steve was just as sure the sounds he caught on the preceding night must have been a human voice crying out in anguish.  Doubtless that vivid dream was also making quite an impression on the mind of the boy; for Max found him unusually docile and thoughtful.

They had now gone considerably over half a mile.  Max felt that if any discovery was going to be made, it must come very soon.  He raised his voice occasionally, and gave a half shout; after which both of them would stand still and strain their hearing in hopes of catching some answering hail.

Squirrels barked at the intruders of their nut domain; blue jays screamed harshly as they flitted from limb to limb among adjacent trees; crows sent forth many noisy caws from atop of some neighboring pine, watching those moving figures suspiciously the while; and once a deer suddenly leaped across the trail, with a flip of its short tail, to speedily vanish amidst the colored foliage of some bushes.

This last event caused Steve to give a real yell, he was so startled.  Hardly had he done this than he gripped the sleeve of his comrade.

“Did you hear that.  Max?  Was it an echo to my whoop; or did somebody really call out in a weak voice!  Anyway, it seemed to come from right over there,” and he pointed confidently as he spoke.

Max himself was of the same opinion, for he felt almost certain that a human voice had tried to attract their attention, though possibly the person giving utterance to the cry was so weak that he could not make much effort.

They changed their course a little, and headed directly toward the region whence Steve had pointed so positively.  When Max held the other up presently and called again, all doubt was removed.

“Here, this way!  I’m in pretty bad shape, I guess.  Don’t leave me, please, whoever you are.  I’ll pay you a hundred dollars to get me out of this scrape!”

Evidently, the speaker, whom Max decided must be Robert Chase, and no other, supposed the persons approaching, and whose voices he had heard, must be woods guides who might consider themselves fortunate indeed to earn such a royal sum so easily.