It was anxious work looking for the axe-marks which would tell them they were once more on the right path. Mike felt very uncomfortable as he wondered what would happen if they really got lost in that enormous forest! He thought he saw two gleaming eyes looking at him from between the trees and he jumped.
“Is that a wolf?” he whispered to Jack. But it was only his imagination! There was no wolf, merely a couple of shining leaves caught in the light of Ranni’s brilliant torch!
“Ah!” said Ranni, at last, in a glad voice. “Here is the path again. And look, there are axe-marks on that tree. Now we can go forward again. Keep a look-out, all of you, for the axe-marks that tell us we are on the right path.”
Everyone watched anxiously for the marks after that. It was impossible to stray far from the path if they followed the marks. They were made at regular intervals, and the little company soon made steady progress.
“We must be near the encampment!” said Ranni at last, in a low voice. “Can you hear the lapping of water? I think we are nearing that big pool.”
In another minute his torch shone on to the glittering waters of the pool. They had reached the cluster of huts. If only the robbers did not see or hear them!
A Way of Escape?
Everything was quiet. There were only a few small night-sounds — the lapping of the water, the squeal of some small animal, the splash of a fish jumping. There was nothing else to be heard at all.
The five stood quite still beside the big pool, listening. A curious sound came on the air, and the boys clutched one another.
“It’s all right,” whispered Ranni, a laugh in his voice. It’s only one of the robbers snoring in the nearest hut!”