Sophy thought that she should feel safer if she were to say her prayers, so she knelt down in the dead leaves and repeated “Our Father” very softly, adding before she rose, “And please, God, take me safe home. I’m so frightened. For Jesus Christ’s sake, Amen.” When she had finished she felt braver. It was all very quiet, and the men had gone. She walked out of the wood and found in the dim light a footpath, which she followed. It led past the base of the embankment of the railroad, a sandy embankment which towered far above her, and she soon reached the carriage road which passed under the railroad at this point.
Sophy knew this road well, and she knew that by following it towards the right she should eventually reach home, although it was a long distance. She wondered where Peter was, if he had come back to look for her, if he was in the forest now, searching for her. And the girls, what were they doing? Were they sitting down to supper now without her? She wondered if her silver mug had been filled with nice rich milk as usual, and if there was toast to-night for supper. Perhaps Honor was cooking something on the chafing-dish, as she did sometimes by way of a great treat. Sophy did wish that she was there. She was so hungry and it was so far! It seemed as if she must keep walking all night in order to reach there.
At last, quite exhausted, she sat down upon a rock by the roadside. She must rest for a few moments at the foot of the long hill which loomed up before her. There was a little house at the top, she knew, and a short distance farther on their own place began, although their house was a half-mile beyond. She had just made up her mind to continue her weary march, when she saw two young men or boys emerge from the woods from the other side of the road from those in which she had been. She was sitting in the shadow of some large bushes, and she thought if she kept very still that they might not notice her. She scarcely dared to breathe, but she heard very distinctly the beating of her heart, and the sound frightened her. As the boys approached, she heard one of them say:
“An’ yer won’t tell me nothin’? Well, then, yer don’t git any of the stuff.”
“I don’t want it,” replied the other, as they passed her.
To Sophy’s astonishment, she recognized the voice as that of Dave Carney. Was it—could it possibly be he? She peered after him, and then springing to her feet she ran as fast as she could up the road in pursuit.
“Dave! Dave!” she cried. “Wait for me! I’m lost, and I’m so glad to see you. Oh, so glad!”
And then to Carney’s astonishment a small hand was thrust into his hand, and a small and anxious face was turned up towards his face.
“Why, where’d you come from?” he asked, stopping abruptly in his walk, while his companion uttered an exclamation of anger.
“I went to the woods with Peter, and I got lost. There was a terrible scream, and it frightened me dreadfully, and I’ve been all this time trying to find my way home. Oh, Dave, I’m so glad to see you!” said the child, forgetting her fatigue, and dancing with glee, while she still tightly grasped his hand. “You’ve no idea how dreadful it was. Who is that, Dave? Is it your brother? He looks just like you.”