Besides, Billy was so lame that he could not ride
him very fast, and the Corporal himself was not so sure of his way but
that he had to keep looking out sharply to remember where he was. So
seeing no help Dick and Elsie made up their minds that they must try to
find their own way home, though they had little idea in which direction
to start, for they had never been so far on the moor before. The
rolling hills and grass and heather seemed to be very much the same on
every side, and there was no road nor track to guide them. Dick did
indeed think of following the hoof-marks of their own ponies backward,
for he had heard the Corporal tell stories how lost and tired soldiers
had rejoined an army on the march by sticking to its tracks; but
unfortunately this was not very easy. Very soon they made up their
minds that the first thing to be done was to get clear of the
treacherous ground on which they stood, for the ponies floundered
terribly, and in one desperate scramble over a very soft place Dick let
his whip fall and could not find it again. Still on they went, and at
last came to a little trickle of water in a hollow, running between
what seemed to be sound green grass; but the ponies refused to cross
it; and it was well that they did so, for it was deeper and more
dangerous than any ground that they had yet traversed. So there was
nothing for it but to follow the water in the hope that the ground
would improve; and accordingly they did follow it, upward.
Pages:
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80