"Only enough for a few of us. We need more than these," he remarked.
"There's sure to be more where these are. Let's keep on hunting," urged Julie.
So they kept on winding through the underbrush, but with no good results. Finally Dick found a plant that he believed to be a wild potato.
"No, it is not. It hasn't the leaves or blossom of the Indian potato," declared Joan.
"That may be, but when it grows old it dries up, you know," argued Dick, beginning to dig at the root.
The girls wandered about seeking for signs of more mushrooms, but could find none. Then Dick stood up and stretched his back-muscles.
"My that was tough digging when you have no tool. And it wasn't a potato after all."
"Well, we've been gone a long time now. Suppose we go back with what we have," said Joan.
"Yes; even if we can't fill up on steaks to-day, let us eat more of the greens," added Judith.
So they turned to go back to camp. They climbed over the boulders similar to those over which they had already climbed, over similar fallen timber, and finally came to a stream.
"I don't remember a brook when we came," remarked Julie.
"Neither do I," added Judith.
"All places look alike when you're hunting anything. We may have crossed a bog or a brook and never have noticed it," said Dick.
"Oh, I would have noticed it! I wouldn't be such a poor scout as not to know where I was going," returned Julie, defensively.
"Now, Dick, I'm sure there was no bog where we came through, but here's one right ahead of us," called Joan, who was a few paces ahead.
"No, there was no bog!" affirmed Julie.
"Did you bring a compass?" now asked Dick.
"No, we never thought of being lost," murmured Julie.
"We're not lost, just strayed a bit," Dick assured them.
"'Lost, Strayed or Stolen' it's all the same if we have to miss our dinner," sighed Joan.
They managed to cross the boggy spot and then trailed to a place that Dick claimed was the clearing. But it turned out to be a little fen made by a tiny spring.
"What we should have done was to leave our marks as we came through broken twigs, or trampled grass, or some such signs," said Julie.
"But we didn't, and now is no time to talk of it!" Dick said impatiently, for he began to realize that they really were lost.
"We can begin right now, however, and then not keep circling around without recognizing that we were there before!" snapped Julie.
So the girls began, then and there, to leave their signs as they followed after Dick, who really knew not where he was leading.
"Had we better separate and go in different directions to hunt the camp?" asked Dick finally.
"Mercy, no! Better be lost together than get lost each one alone!" exclaimed Joan.
"Sort of 'United we stand,' etc.," chuckled Julie, in spite of her concern over not finding the way.
They kept on forcing a way through the thick bush and resting now and then when they found a little clearing; but finally Judith cried: "You'll have to go without me! I'm so weak from hunger I can't walk another step."
"Girls, suppose we stop and cook the steaks?" asked Dick.
"I say so, too," agreed Julie.
So they cleared a little space in the woods and with two rubbing-sticks soon produced fire. While two of the girls were doing this, Dick washed the mushrooms in the little spring they had seen, and then sliced them with his knife.
"We haven't any salt or bacon, but they'll taste good to starved wanderers," said Dick, holding one over the fire to cook.
Each girl spiked one on a sharpened stick and held it out to broil. When the mushrooms were cooked they each ate until they felt better. Then Dick made a suggestion.
"Making this fire gave me an idea. Why not make 'two smokes' for signals. If Alec or
any one else is looking for us, they can see them."
"Why didn't we think of that before! Fine idea, Dick," said Joan.
"What will 'two smokes' mean?" asked Judith.
"Means 'we are lost,' come find us," said Dick, busy with two heaps of firewood.
"But you can't signal here under these trees, Dick! We've got to find an open place where the smoke can rise up above the tree-tops, you know," advised Julie.
Dick realized he had been caught napping by a girl, and he didn't like it very much but he could not show his annoyance, for Julie was right. So he stood up and said: "I'll shout as loud as possible, maybe they will hear us." So he shouted until he was hoarse.
"In this dense forest, where the trees break every sound, the smoke signal is as good as any other. Let us find a clearing," suggested Julie.
So they sought again, and soon found an open spot where the sky was visible without any obstructing tree-branches overhead.
"Why, this looks like the same clearing that I said would make a fine baseball diamond," declared Julie.
"So it does! And here is a broken twig where we went out," said Joan.
"Then we can't be many miles from home," laughed Julie, her spirits rising again at the slightest encouragement.
They made two smokes, however, and waited to watch the thin spirals rise above the trees, side by side, until they dispersed in the blue ether far overhead. But no sound came in answer to the signals.