paint a picture."

"You hear, Carlile? Something must have happened, or they would have
been back by now. We must go. Look here, Drinkwater, you will come
with us?"

"Yes, master," said the man, with surly readiness.

"It may be some accident," continued Mr Willows.

"Oh, I pray not, sir," said the woman. "Those two dear lads, and Mr
Manners, who is always so cheerful!"

"Come then," cried Mr Willows. "What are you looking for?"

"Rope, sir," said the man, gruffly. "It may be useful--and a lantern.
We shall want it at least;" and as he spoke the words he pulled out of
the chest over which he had been stooping a coil of hempen rope. He
then took a little lantern from a ledge and lit it. "Now I am ready,
master."

"You are an excellent fellow, Drinkwater," said the mill-owner, clapping
his hand on the other's shoulder, as they stepped out.

"Nay, nay, master," said the man. "I have the bad fits on me sometimes,
and bad they are."

"Bad fits?" said Mr Willows, in a puzzled way. "What do you mean?"

The man nodded.

"Yes," he said, "yes. That's what they are. I can't help them,
master."

"Oh," said the mill-owner; "you must try."

The bright light from the cottage door, at which the woman stood
watching them, streamed out and lit up their path for a few steps. Then
they were in the pitch darkness, and in danger of completely losing
their way, for it was rough broken country that lay between the little
settlement and the Tor. In that district villages were few and far
between, and beyond Beldale there was uncultivated land for many miles.

"They would be sure to come back this way, wouldn't they?" asked Mr
Willows. "Don't you think so, James?"

"Pretty nigh certain, master," was the response, and the man held the
lantern aloft and glanced round. "It's a rough enough way and no
mistake, if you can call it a way; but it's the only one I knows of.
But don't you fret, sir. Master Will can take care of himself, and as
for Mr Manners, he's big enough, while Master Josh is a handy one too,
They are sure to be all right, sir, take my word for it."

"Yes," said Mr Willows; "but there are many dangerous places there out
in the wilds, and boys are over-venturesome."

"Humph! The swamp? Ay," said the man, thoughtfully. "Yes, to be sure.
But we shall find them, never fear."

The Great Tor looked quite near at times, in the daylight, but that was
merely base deception on the part of the atmosphe