“Come on,” said Philip, “let’s go.”
“But how about Harry?” said Fred.
“Oh, we’ll go and find him,” and so the lads pushed right ahead as they thought, and in the direction in which Harry’s voice was last heard; but they soon grew bewildered, and at last stood gazing disconsolately at one another, and then, as is stated at the beginning of this chapter, “Whoo-oo-oo-oop!” sang out Philip.
“Hoop—hoop—hoop!” shouted Fred as loudly as he could, and then, feeling the loneliness oppress him more than he could bear, he sat down on a stump, and seemed half disposed to cry.
“Oh, I say,” said Philip, who was nearly as bad, “don’t look like that, or we shall never get out of the wood. Don’t you know what a many times Robert Bruce tried before he got his kingdom? Let’s try again; the wood is not so very big, and we must come out somewhere.”
“Do you think we ever shall get out again?” said Fred.
“Oh, of course we shall,” said Philip, “and there ain’t no wild beasts or anything of that kind, so come on and let’s start.”
And start they did—creeping through some bushes, pushing others aside, but somehow or another getting flogged by the returning twigs, and scratched by the brambles in a way they had not suffered in the morning. Once Fred tripped over a stump and fell heavily down, where he lay crying silently, but without trying to get up again; and it was only by Philip dragging at him that he could be got upon his legs. Duskier grew the wood, till under the big trees it was quite dark; but Philip pressed manfully on, though he felt completely bewildered; still his good sense told him that they must eventually find an outlet.
On and on they went, slowly and toilsomely, and still nothing but trees and bushes, looking gloomy and shadowy—very different to the appearance presented in the afternoon when the sun shone upon them, sending a checkery shade amongst the waving grass; and at last Philip felt his heart sink within him at the hopelessness of his task. All at once a happy thought struck the boy as they stood in a more open space, where they could see the stars shining down brightly upon them.
“I say, Fred,” he said, “hasn’t your papa ever told you about how the people used to guide their ships by the stars.”