“What did you think it was?” asked Paul, as they flew high over the other side of the mountain ring.
“I thought it was a spiral of smoke,” said Jack. “It couldn’t have been, of course — because where there is smoke, there is a fire, and where there is a fire, there are men! And there are no men down there in the Secret Forest!”
“I didn’t see any smoke,” said Mike.
“Nor did I,” said Paul. “It must have been a wisp of low-lying cloud, Jack.”
“Yes — it must have been,” said Jack. “But it did look like smoke. You know how sometimes on a still day the smoke from a camp fire rises almost straight into the air and stays there for ages. Well, it was like that.”
“I think the Secret Forest is very, very strange and mysterious,” said Peggy. “And I never want to go there!”
“I would, if I got the chance!” said Mike. “Think of walking where nobody else had ever put their foot! I would feel a real explorer.”
“This is Jonnalongay,” called Ranni from the front. “It is one of our biggest towns, set all round a beautiful lake.”
The children began to take an interest in the map again. It was such fun to see a place on the big map, and then to watch it coming into view below, as the aeroplane flew towards it. But soon after that they flew into thick cloud and could see nothing.
“Never mind,” said Ranni. “We have turned back now, and are flying along the other border of Baronia. It is not so interesting here. The clouds will probably clear just about Tirriwutu, and you will see the railway lines there. Watch out for them.”