“He’s been in the day when we were out,” said Bevis. “Suppose we go up on the cliff, leave the gate open, and if he comes shoot down at him?”
“Come on.”
They went up on the cliff, just behind the spiked stakes, taking with them the gun, the axe, and bow and arrows. If the beast entered the enclosure they could get a capital shot down at him, nor could he leap up, he would have to go some distance round to get at them, and meantime the gun could be reloaded. They waited, nothing entered the stockade but a robin.
“This is very slow,” said Mark.
“Very,” said Bevis. “What’s the use of waiting? Suppose we go and hunt him up.”
“In the wood?”
“Everywhere—sedges and fern—everywhere.”
“Hurrah!”
Up they jumped full of delight at the thought of freedom again. It was so great a relief to move about that they ignored the danger. Anything was better than being forced to stay still.
“If he’s on the island we’ll find him.”