"But we can scarcely see the stars in here."
"Anyhow I ought to have noticed the direction. Father says that is what one ought always to do when he is in a strange place, especially in the woods."
"It's getting very cold," said Mary Lee, plaintively. "Do you suppose we could kindle a fire by rubbing two sticks together as the Indians do?"
"It wouldn't do to have a fire here if we had matches. We might set the woods on fire. We ought to get out into some open place to do that."
"It's warmer here, more sheltered, you know. Are you very cold, Mary Lee? Take my coat."
"I'll do no such thing," Mary Lee refused determinedly. "It's no colder for me than for you."
"Then let's sit close." So the two cousins snuggled together, each feeling comfort from the nearness of the other.
"I wish we had something to eat," sighed Mary Lee after a silence. "It will be a long time before morning. Shall you dare to go to sleep, Phil?"
"Do you suppose they will try to find us?"
"What are you thinking about?" said Mary Lee after another long pause.
"I'm trying to puzzle out about directions. Of course, the mountain is west of the town, for the sun sets behind it, so we ought to go east to get back, and we must go down-hill instead of up."
"But we might go down-hill and go north or south."
"When the sun rises, we can see that and travel toward the east."
"We can do that unless----" Mary Lee's courage was beginning to ooze out and she gave a little frightened sob.
"What, Mary Lee?" Phil began to stroke her hand in boyish fashion.
"Unless the bears or wildcats get us before then," she sobbed outright.
Phil had thought of this, but had not mentioned it. "They shall not get us," he declared. "They are not going to. Father will find us before long."
"He can, and he will," said Phil confidently. "Father can do anything he sets out to do."
This was somewhat comforting, though it did not keep out the cold which was growing more and more evident every moment and presently both children were shivering.
"Do you suppose," said Mary Lee, "that if we covered ourselves with leaves like the Babes in the Woods that we would be warmer?"
"We might try it," said Phil. "The leaves are good and dry and there are lots around us right here."