"But you're not—you'll never get away from Mirage Town."
"Why not?" asked Billy,
"Because there is no such place."
"But I'm here."
"That's the trouble—you are in a town that doesn't exist, so of course, you are not in any place. And, if you'll tell me how you can leave a place where you're not I'll——"
"I'll show you," said Billy angrily, "I'll jump out," and he tried to jump.
"No use," said the voice laughing, "there's nothing under your feet—and you can't jump from nothing."
"Well, I'll get a drink of water from that brook and then you'll see," said Billy, "I'll go out by the gate I entered."
"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed the voice, "try and see."
Nothing daunted, however, Billy ran toward the brook—"Can't catch me—can't catch me," called the brook, "running boys can't catch running brooks."