“Well, we can’t be far wrong,” said Josh.
“We might be miles out,” said Will; “and it will be dark soon. We were precious stupids to come all this way on the bare chance of meeting him. He may have gone off home.”
“Then we should have been sure to meet him.”
“Why?” said Will.
“Because he would have come this way. It’s the only safe one, on account of the bogs. Somewhere near here a man and a horse were swallowed up once.”
“Don’t believe it,” said Will.
“You ask father.”
It was steady uphill work now; then real climbing; here and there their way was checked by a miniature heather-crowned crater, down which they peered, to see stony ledges and then a sheer fall.
“He is only an ignorant Londoner after all,” said Will, thoughtfully, as they scrambled on. “He might have let himself fall down one of those places.”
“Any one might do that,” said Josh. “Hark! What’s that?”