Then their dread was of starvation or death by wild animals, and they had begun to lose hope.
Both Henry and Paul were deeply moved by the story of the grief at Wareville.

They knew even without the telling that this sorrow had never been demonstrative.

The mothers of the West were too much accustomed to great tragedies to cry out and wring their hands when a blow fell.
Theirs was always a silent grief, but none the less deep.
Then, guided by Ross and the shiftless one, they proceeded to Wareville which was really at the bottom of the smoke spire, where they were received, as two risen from the dead, in a welcome that was not noisy, but deep and heartfelt.

The cow, the original cause of the trouble, had wandered back home long ago.
"How did you live in the forest ?" asked Mr.Ware of Henry, after the first joy of welcome was shown.
"It was hard at first, but we were beginning to learn," replied the boy.
"If we'd only had our rifles 'twould have been no trouble.

And father, the wilderness is splendid!" The boy's thoughts wandered far away for a moment to the wild woods where he again lay in the shade of mighty oaks and saw the deer come down to drink.