"We are coming," several voices answered from some children immediately behind him. It was Max, Hans and Simi, and then Stoffi and Rudi behind them, but they were all. Kurt halted.
"Where is the whole troup?" asked Kurt. "Let us wait till they catch up. We must all stay together up there."
But none followed. All the answer Kurt got to his question was the screaching of an owl.
"Oh, they've gone, they were afraid," said Max. "They were there, though, when we came into the woods."
"The cowards!" Clevi cried indignantly,
"To be afraid of trees! That certainly is funny."
"Well, we aren't afraid anyway; otherwise we shouldn't be here any more. Call to those who are gone," Max called back.
"Come on now, come!" Kurt commanded. "There are eight of us left to sing, so we must all sing very loud."
On they went speedily till they could see the end of the woods. One of the gray towers was peering between the trees. They had at last reached their goal.
"Here we stop!" said Kurt, "but we must not go outside the woods. The Wildenstein ghost might otherwise step up to us, if he walks around the terrace. Here we go!"