But Hilary and she had raised their voices in this discussion without knowing it. Suddenly the small man turned round, placed one hand behind his big black ear, as if listening, and then, seemingly catching sight of the children, sprang forward, stretching out his two long arms before him in a curious way towards the little group.
A group no longer—with a scream, or three screams joined into one, the children had turned and fled. How they got through the thick growing bushes without being torn to pieces I am sure I cannot tell. Fear lends wings, I suppose. However that may be, I know it was in a wonderfully short time that they found themselves, panting and shaking, breathless and trembling, but safe, inside the shelter of their own garden gate.
"Oh, Nora!"
"Oh, Cecil!"
"Oh, Hilary!"
"I never was so frightened in my life," each exclaimed in turn.
"If we hadn't all seen it, we might think it was fancy," said Nora.
"I'm afraid the big ones will say it's fancy as it is," said Cecil, "and they will so laugh at us."
"Then we won't tell them," said Nora, "at least we'll wait a little and see. But I daren't go into the woods again; I really daren't."
"Not without a gun," said Hilary.