'I might have known this would happen,' she said, miserably. 'He is
so careless that, if we ever find him again, we must keep him tied to
something.'
'Take care of your steps, dear,' said Geoff, 'and munch this cracker,
or you won't have strength enough to go on with me. I wish it were
not getting so dark; the moment the sun gets behind these mountain-
tops the light seems to vanish in an instant.--Dick-y!'
'Think of the poor darling out in this darkness--hungry, frightened,
and alone,' sighed Bell. 'It's past his bed-time now. Oh, why did
we ever come to stay in this horrible place!'
'You must not blame the place, dear; we thought it the happiest in
the world this morning. Here we are by the upper pool, and the path
stops. Which way had we better go?'
'I've been here before to-day,' said Bell; 'we might follow the trail
I made. But where is my string? Light a match, Geoff, please.'
'What string? What do you mean?'
'Why, I found a beautiful spot this morning, and, fearing I shouldn't
remember the way again, I took out my ball of twine and dropped a
white line all the way back, like Ariadne; but I don't see it. Where
can it have disappeared--unless Jack or Phil took it to tease me?'
'Oh no; I've been with them all day. Perhaps a snake has swallowed
it. Come.'
But a bright idea had popped into Bell's head. 'I want to go that
way, Geoff, dear; it's as good as any other, and there are flowers
just the other side, in an open, sunny place; perhaps he found them.
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