“Stay there a bit—it’s not a path. I’ll yell when I’ve got it.”
They waited, and for five minutes listened anxiously for the signal. Then they thought they heard it away to the right, and floundered off in pursuit. But after a little they discovered that they were going uphill.
“Hadn’t we better go back to where we were,” said Cash, “or we may miss him?”
It occurred to most of the party that they had missed him already. Still, they decided to go back.
Presently they distinctly heard what sounded like a voice below them.
“That must be he. Yell!”
They shouted, and again there seemed to come a faint response.
“All right,” said Percy. “Stay where you are, and I’ll go and fetch him up.”
And he vanished into the mist.
“What’s the time?” said Ashby, as the party stood dismally waiting.