“We’ll go on now,” said Ranni. He untied the raft and on they went again, caught by the strong current. Now they could see when branches of trees would scrape over the raft, and Ranni steered to avoid them.
The river wound in and out, and suddenly took a great curve, almost doubling back on itself.
“I hope it doesn’t flow back very far!” said Pilescu. “We don’t want to land back near the robber camp!”
The river did wind back a good way, and at one part, although the little company did not know it, it was only about a mile from the robbers! It had a strange course in the Secret Forest. It flowed half-way through, doubled back, and finally flowed out of the trees about six miles from where it first flowed in. The travellers did not know this, though Ranni could tell, by the position of the sun, that they were now travelling almost in the opposite direction.
The trees suddenly thinned, and sunshine flooded down here and there, almost dazzling the two men and the three boys. The river flowed more rapidly, and the raft bobbed about.
“We are coming out of the Secret Forest!” said Jack, shading his eyes and looking forward. “The trees are getting thinner and thinner. Where does this river go, I wonder? I do wish it would take us right through the mountains somewhere and out at the other side. Then we could just walk round them till we come to Killimooin Castle.”
“Not so easily done!” said Pilescu.
A shout made them turn their heads. To their horror, between the trees, they saw one of the robbers! He called out something, and then ran off to tell his comrades, his red wolf-tail swinging behind him.
Six or seven more came running with him after a few minutes, and they stood watching the raft as it swung along in the distance.
One robber yelled something after them. “What did he say?” asked Jack. Ranni looked a little solemn.