Iddo suddenly looked around her. She had fancied she had heard a laugh close at her elbow. Was it the enemy? If so he had made himself invisible; but she felt they were on dangerous ground.
They had not noticed that their mothers were by now out of sight and that they had swerved a little from the path. They were so busy talking over these subjects, that it was some time before they realized with a start that they were no longer following their parents, and that they were passing some gates that led into a thickly populated town.
"Oh," cried Iddo, in distress, "we have lost our way!" But Adin was fascinated with the crowds of people that she saw through the gates that were standing wide open. She had not seen so many people congregated together for long, and they were apparently light-hearted and not troubled with the enemy, as they were laughing and talking as if they had not a care.
"Let us go in," she said, "they cannot be dangerous people or allied with the enemy, as they are not even noticing us, but look thoroughly happy and unconcerned. Come, don't be a coward," for Iddo had drawn back.
"But," she said, "I am quite sure mother has not gone that way, I should never find her there."
"How do you know?" said Adin, "why we are nearly sure to come across some other pilgrims who will do their best to help us to find our mothers. There is really nothing to fear."
Looking through the gate Iddo recognized the face of a pilgrim she had met in the way.
"It must be all right," she murmured as they passed through, "as she is here. Perhaps mother may after all have gone this way."
To Iddo's astonishment she recognized many a one whom she had noticed standing listening to the preacher on the heath, and there was something about them that did not exactly re-assure her; they seemed almost to be settling down in the town instead of walking through it, and what filled her with concern was the fact that as yet Adin and she had not found a trace of their own path.
"Will you tell us the name of this place?" said Iddo to a passer-by, who looked good-natured and kind.