The Secret of Killimooin

Presently they found one. A great rock jutted up between the thickly-growing trees, and underneath it was a well-hidden hole, draped by greenery. Once in the shelter of that rock, no one would see them.

“Do you know the way back to the clearing, Pilescu?” asked Paul, sleepily, as the big man arranged him comfortably on the ground, on the fur-lined cloaks that he and Ra

“I know it, little lord. Do not worry your head,” said Pilescu. “Now sleep. You must be wide-awake tonight, for you may need all your wits about you!”

The boys soon slept. They had had so little sleep the night before, and were so exhausted with all their adventures, that it was impossible to keep awake. The men kept a watch. They had been very touched to know that the boys had followed them to rescue them. Now it was their turn to watch over the boys, and save them from the robbers!

The sun began to slide down towards the west. The day was going. Ra

Twilight came creeping into the forest. It was always dim there, and difficult to see the sunshine. Twilight came there before the outer world had lost its daylight. Ra

Jack awoke first. He stretched himself and opened his eyes, looking into complete darkness. He wondered where he was. Then he heard Ra

“Ra

“Yes,” said Ra

Soon all five of them were eating the hard bread. Ra

By the light of his torch Ra

“We will take the path back,” said Ra

They found the path and went along it quietly in single file. The boys felt excited, but perfectly safe now that they had Ra

Ra

“We are not very far from it,” he said. “I saw the axe-marks in a tree only a little way back. We must look for them.”

It was anxious work looking for the axe-marks which would tell them they were once more on the right path. Mike felt very uncomfortable as he wondered what would happen if they really got lost in that enormous forest! He thought he saw two gleaming eyes looking at him from between the trees and he jumped.

“Is that a wolf?” he whispered to Jack. But it was only his imagination! There was no wolf, merely a couple of shining leaves caught in the light of Ra

“Ah!” said Ra

Everyone watched anxiously for the marks after that. It was impossible to stray far from the path if they followed the marks. They were made at regular intervals, and the little company soon made steady progress.

“We must be near the encampment!” said Ra

In another minute his torch shone on to the glittering waters of the pool. They had reached the cluster of huts. If only the robbers did not see or hear them!

A Way of Escape?

Everything was quiet. There were only a few small night-sounds — the lapping of the water, the squeal of some small animal, the splash of a fish jumping. There was nothing else to be heard at all.

The five stood quite still beside the big pool, listening. A curious sound came on the air, and the boys clutched one another.

“It’s all right,” whispered Ra

So it was. The sound came again, and then died away. Ra

“Did you come down the mountain river on a raft like that?” whispered Paul to Ra

“We came on a raft only as far as the outlet of the river, just where it leaves the mountain. The men steered the raft to the bank there, and we all jumped off. They tied up the raft and we walked the rest of the way to the Secret Forest. Apparently, whenever the robbers go up to the Temple Cave they walk along the ledge beside the mountain river, and drag a raft up with them, floating it on the rushing water. It must be hard work!”

“Oh! Then that’s why there are no rafts to be seen on this pool,” said Jack, who had been puzzling about this. “They only use them inside the mountain, to bring them down quickly.”

“Sh!” said Pilescu, warningly. “We had better not talk any more. Hold your torch higher, Ra

It did not take long to free the raft. Ra

“Get on the raft,” whispered Ra

It was very weird and mysterious, swinging along on the swift river, through the heart of the dark forest. Sometimes branches of trees swept down low and bumped the heads of the travellers, scraping their faces. It was impossible to prevent them. Ra

The boys huddled against one another, stiff and uncomfortable. When a big branch nearly took Paul overboard and gave him a great bruise on his forehead, Ra

So he tied the raft to a tree, and the five of them nibbled bread and talked in low voices. Ra