“Looks as if I was lost,” he mused, “and the farther I go the more lost I am.  I suppose if Don were here he would toss up for the way to go, and I guess that’s as good a way as any.”

Taking a coin from his pocket he closed his hand upon the metal without looking at it. “if it is head,” he decided, “I will go to the right, and if it is tail I will go to the left.  It’s head,” opening his hand.  “Now, I’ll bet that isn’t the right way, but I’ll try it anyhow.”

Taking the course the coin had indicated Pepper plunged into the brush and doggedly pushed on, although he was getting tired and somewhat discouraged.

“I am going to keep on this way,” he determined, “until I get to the road or come out on the other side, if it brings me out in California.”

Stopping to rest, after he had forced his way through a particularly heavy growth of brush, he was startled at hearing the angry bark of a dog not far away.

“Crickets!” he cried, “I hope I haven’t run across that beast again I think I had better look for a stick while I have time.  I don’t want to be picking up any more snakes”

Looking about him he found a good-sized stick lying upon the ground, which he scrutinized closely before venturing to take possession.

In addition to the barking of the dog he could now hear voices, and thus encouraged, he advanced in the direction from which came the sounds.

“Perhaps I can find some one who can direct me how to get out of this,” he thought.  A few minutes’ walk brought him near to a small opening in the woods in which stood a rudely-built cabin, and a little way off a smaller shack which, apparently, was used as a stable, as there was a wagon standing beside it, which Pepper recognized as the one he had seen on the road, and as the very one Monkey had been driving when he nearly run them down.  There were a couple of kegs in the wagon and several tin cans.  Perched on the roof of the cabin was a boy, whom he recognized as Sam Tompkins, who had, apparently, climbed there to escape the dog, which was jumping up, trying to get at him.

While Pepper watched, the man whom he had seen driving the wagon, came from the inside of the house and drove the dog away, at the same time calling to Sam to come down.

“That’s what you get for teasing him,” he growled.  “He’ll take a piece out of you yet.”

Making a surly response Sam slipped down from the roof and disappeared into the house.

“Gee!” exclaimed Pepper.  “I am glad I didn’t walk in on them.  Now, I wonder what is going on here?”

From a large chimney, which was built at the back of the cabin, which was nearest Pepper, the smoke from a wood fire was rising, and there was an unpleasant odor in the air.

“That must be the smoke we saw from the river the other day,” concluded Pepper.  “I wonder what they are cooking there?  I can’t say I like the smell of it, whatever it is, and I don’t think this is any good place for me, either.”