Before them yawned the ravine, bristling with half-burned saplings, and but partially illumined by the moon. The babble of the brook flowing through its hidden depths was faintly audible.
"See the bodies anywhere?" said Lysander.
"Can't see ary thing by this light," replied Dan. "But we can go down and find 'em."
Sprowl did not much fancy the idea of descending.
"It will be a waste of time to stop here," he said to Silas. "The live traitors are of more consequence than the dead ones. Supposing we go to the cave first, and come back and find the bodies afterwards. Have you got your bearings yet, Carl?"
"I am peginning," said Carl, staring about him, with his hands in his pockets. "I think I vill have 'em soon."
Sprowl looked at him with suppressed rage. "How cussed provoking!" he muttered.
"It is—wery prowoking!" said Carl, looking at the moon. "Aggrawating!"
"Well, make up your mind quick! What will you do?"
Then it seemed as if a bright idea occurred to Carl.