Hardly a word had been spoken between them, for they were keenly aware of their serious situation and the rain was falling as bad as ever with night coming on apace.
Westy thought that the cliff must have fallen prey to some supernatural power and had been swallowed up in the forest’s depths also.
Hungry, tired and thirsty, they watched the gray shadows of twilight steal through the closely grown trees, and where even in broad daylight it was a place of gloom.
Now it seemed more depressing than ever and the echoes of their voices came back to them like mocking ghosts of days long past.
It was awfully eerie, and as they sat down on a bowlder to rest, huddled close together to keep warm, the tall trees stood out like gaunt shadows in a sepulchral world.
“Do you realize, Rip? Here we are—two scouts——”
“Yep!”
“And we’re lost!”
CHAPTER XXVI—THEY MEET A LOWLY STRANGER
All through that long night Westy and Rip took turns trying to get some sleep on the hard bowlder. Tired and sleepy though they were, they couldn’t rest any more than a few moments at a time and were more than glad to give up their uncomfortable berth to one another.