When she had finished he went to the head of the pony, that stood rather miserably cropping the grass at the side of the road. “Seems to me you’ve been breaking rules, Miss Margot,” he remarked, “and I expect your mother will have arrived at the school by this time, and will most likely be wondering pretty forcibly where you are. But if you ask for my opinion I think, as we’re so far on the way to that ‘Little House’ of yours, that we can’t do better than go straight on. I’ll doctor up this chap’s knees a bit though, first, and then tether him so that he’ll be safe for a time; and, as you say that little cousin of yours is likely to have gone on rather a risky errand, we’ll make tracks straight away in her direction and bring her back.”
“Oh, I’m so glad you think so,” breathed Margot in relief. “I was so afraid you might want me to go back to school, and I know I’ve broken rules, but I don’t see how I could have helped it. Gretta will tell mother, and she’ll know I’m safe; and Sybil may be so frightened.”
“Well, that settles it; for it’s very likely, I should think,” said Long Jake rather gravely, “if the description of the old man that you give is a pretty correct one, that it would be best to bring her back without delay. Look here, Margot, we’ll lose as little time as possible. We’ll go straight over the moors in the direction of the hole in the cliff, where you say the place is, and we’ll cut off an easy mile that way. Can you step out, or shall I leave you here to look after the trap?”
“Rather!” declared his companion. “And, besides, Sybil knows me, you see.” And accordingly “step out” the pair did, while the crippled pony forgot his woes for a while and watched them wistfully till they disappeared from his view.
“So that’s the place, is it?” inquired Long Jake, after they had walked for a while. “Rum little spot, isn’t it? There’s been no sign of the child, though. Would she have been likely to try to get inside?”
“Well, if she’s doing it for the bravery prize, of course,” suggested Margot, “perhaps she might; but she’s not likely to want to, all alone; and if he’s mad and queer, like Stella says, he might frighten her awfully, you know.”
“I think we’ll just get there as quick as we can, and investigate when we arrive, instead of thinking of horrors. It’s most likely that the child’s gone back.”
“But we should have passed her on the road, you see,” said Margot.
Five minutes more brought the pair to the “Little House”; by this time the little girl was panting hard with her exertions and efforts to keep up with the stride of her companion; she looked apprehensively towards the windowless little place, then, as they drew up outside, she pressed her ear to the wooden door.
“There are voices!” she whispered in horror.