Theodore led the way to the kitchen, and from thence into the dairy, where they found Mrs. Fry skimming the cream from a pan of milk.
"Well, my dears," she said, turning at the sound of their footsteps on the slated floor; "so you've not gone to Dartmeet?"
"No, Mrs. Fry," Theodore returned, "but Jack and I are going to have a little picnic by ourselves, and we thought perhaps you would be so kind as to let us have some cake to take with us."
"To be sure," the good woman responded briskly; "you had an early dinner, and will be hungry long before tea-time I've no doubt. But you must wait whilst I finish taking the cream from this pan of milk. I don't suppose you're in a hurry."
The boys could not contradict her, so there was no alternative but to stand quietly by until she had finished her task. Then they returned with her to the kitchen, where she produced a large, home-made cake from a cupboard, and cutting off two substantial hunches, wrapped them in paper, and handed one to each boy. They thanked her gratefully, and, slipping out of the back door, made their way across the yard, where they encountered the farmer with Help at his heels as usual. The boys hurried past him with a few words to the effect that they were starting for a long walk. Mr. Fry stopped, and stared after them, wondering why they were in such a hurry, and where they were going.
"The half hour must be nearly up," Theodore said, glancing over his shoulder nervously, as though he expected to see someone coming to stop them, as he closed the yard gate after following Jack into the road. "Jane's window is at the other side of the house, luckily. She won't catch us now."
"No," Jack agreed, rather breathlessly. "I don't think we need walk quite so fast."
Accordingly they slackened their pace, and proceeded at a more moderate rate. Their spirits rose as they left Blackburn Farm further behind them, and realised that there was now no chance of their being stopped. The afternoon was before them to spend as it suited their pleasure; and with the grey-topped Tor in the distance as the goal of their ambition, they took the road with merry hearts, determined to find and explore the Hermit's Cave.