“The plane is going up. We must be going over them. Yes — we are. Look down and see. Golly, that’s a big one over there!”
“Aren’t the valleys green? And look at that river. It’s like a silvery snake.”
“Are we coming near the Secret Forest? Are we near Killimooin? Blow, I’ve lost it again on the map. I had it a minute ago.”
“Your hand’s over it, silly! Move it, Jack — yes, there, look! Killimooin. We’re coming to the mountains!”
Ranni yelled back to the children. “Look out for the Secret Forest! We are coming to the Killimooin range now. Paul, you know it. Look out now, and tell the others.”
In the greatest excitement the five children pressed their faces against the windows of the big plane. It was rising over steep mountains. The children could see how wild and rugged they were. They could not see anyone on them at all, nor could they even see a house.
“Now you can see how the Killimooin Mountains run all round in a circle!” cried Paul. “See — they make a rough ring, with their rugged heads jagged against the sky! There is no valley between, no pass! No one can get over them into the Secret Forest that lies in the middle of their mighty ring!”
The children could easily see how the range of mountains ran round in a very rough circle. Shoulder to shoulder stood the rearing mountains, tall, steep and wild.
The aeroplane roared over the edge of the circle, and the children gazed down into the valley below.
“That’s the Secret Forest!” shouted Paul. “See, there it is. Isn’t it thick and dark? It fills the valley almost from end to end.”