Stormberg Mountain, on which many of their previous adventures had taken place, reared its peak on the right; and Rainbow Lake was within two miles of their present location.  In selecting this place for their little outing, Bud had probably figured that the chances of their being disturbed or spied upon by any of the curious town boys would be very slight.  And, like all modest inventors, Bud was very shy about showing off until he could be certain that he had actually something worth talking about to display.

The sun had seemed to hesitate upon the horizon, but now it took a sudden dip below the earth’s rim, and Bud exclaimed: 

“Say, did you see the sun just slide out of sight then, as though he was ashamed to leave us in the dark?  This place has all grown up since I was here last, so I hope we’ll get to the shack before night really sets in.”

“We will all right, Bud, so don’t worry any,” laughed Hugh, whose aim it seemed to be to take things as philosophically as possible, especially when they could not be changed.  “Right now I’m beginning to recognize some familiar things around us.  There is that chestnut that has thrown out three young suckers.  When it gets big, it will make a land-mark worth talking about.  I noticed it the last time I was through these woods.”

“Yes, like as not,” grumbled Bud, who was very tired, “if the old chestnut bug that’s killing all the trees in the next county doesn’t get up here next year and put the kibosh on our fine nut trees for keeps.  Oh! look at that rabbit spin out of that brush pile!  He’s on the jump, let me tell you!  Hugh, I’m beginning to recognize some things around here, too, that I remember must have been close to the shack.  There’s the meadow clearing that I had in my mind when choosing to come away up here to try out my latest wonder.  Yes, and as sure as anything, I can hear the singing of that little waterfall just below the big spring.”

“It seems to tell me that I’m thirsty enough to stop and get a drink before going on.  The shack lies just back of that screen of trees and bushes, anyway,” Hugh remarked, as he turned slightly aside and headed directly toward the quarter from whence that melodious song arose.

Apparently Bud was of the same mind, for he instantly followed suit.  In another minute both scouts had deposited their packs on the hard ground and were kneeling at the rim of the little basin where the clear water, bubbling up from the sand, ran away in a busy stream that as yet had not felt the chilling hand of Jack Frost.

Each boy produced a collapsible metal cup with which he could dip into the sparkling spring.  This is a much better way than bending down and sucking in great quantities of water, without knowing what impurities may be swallowed.  Some scouts on their tramps even carry a small filtering stone such as is used in the army, and this is considered a wise precaution by thoughtful scout masters.