“No,” said Fred moodily, “but I have heard they used to.”
“Well” said Philip, “let’s see if we can’t get out that way. I think we can. I know which is the North-pole star, because Papa showed them all to us; and there it is,” said the boy, joyfully, “That’s the north, and right hand will be west, and left hand east; no, it won’t, it will be right hand east, and left hand west. That’s right, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I dare say it is,” said Fred, dolefully.
“Well, when we are at home the wood lies in the west, because the sun sets behind it in the evening, so we must travel to the east, and then we shall be going towards home; and we have been going south, because I was looking that way, and had to turn round to find the Pole Star. Come on, Fred, we’ll soon be home now.”
“Oh, dear,” said Fred, “let’s lie down and go to sleep; I’ve got such a blister on my toe.”
“No, come on,” said the other, “for poor Mamma will be so frightened.”
“Oh, and won’t Uncle be cross?” said Fred.
This last remark almost frightened Philip out of his hurry to get home, for he directly felt disposed to put off the evil—the scolding that he expected to receive; but the knowledge that it would be making bad worse, if he loitered now, made him summon up the determination to proceed; and it required no little determination, for, since they had been star-gazing, their joints had grown stiff; aches and pains had come upon them; and they both would have given anything to have gone to sleep where they were.
“Oh, do come on,” said Philip at last, roughly shaking Fred. “It ain’t far now; for I remember that the wood is very long, but not very broad from east to west, so if we keep walking east we shall soon get out.”
So onward they pressed again, very slowly and laboriously, for about another half-hour, and then Philip stumbled and fell, for a spiteful bramble had caught him by the foot, and the poor boy could hold up no longer; he had cheered his cousin on in every way he could, and taken the lead throughout, though his heart was sinking, and he knew the trouble all proceeded from their own folly; but though he kept down his faint-heartedness and tried manfully to put a bold face on the matter, he was beaten, thoroughly beaten, at last, and lay upon the dewy grass, completely jaded, and without energy or spirit to make another attempt, while Fred, seeing his cousin’s heart fail, broke down as well.