haley paths.
Then a patch seemed to form here, another there, and these patches
appeared to be stretching out their hands to each other all round the
mountain till they formed a grey bank of mist, over the top of which we
could see the distant country.

"We must be moving," said Uncle Dick, "or we shall be lost in the fog.
North-west must be our way, but let's push down here where the slope's
easy, and get beyond the mist, and then we can see what we had better
do."

He led the way, and before we could realise it the dense white steamy
fog was all around us, and we could hardly see each other.

"All right!" said Uncle Dick; "keep together."

"Can you see where you are going, Dick?" said Uncle Jack.

"No, I'm as if I was blindfolded with a white crape handkerchief."

"No precipices here, are there?" I cried nervously, for it seemed so
strange to be walking through this dense mist.

"No, I hope not," cried Uncle Dick out of the mist ahead. "You keep
talking, and follow me, I'll answer you, or else we shall be separated,
and that won't do now. All right!"

"All right!" we chorused back.

"All right!" cried Uncle Dick; "nice easy slope here, but slippery."

"All right!" we chorused.

"All ri--Take--"

We stopped short in horror wondering what had happened, for Uncle Dick's
words seemed cut in two, there was a rustling scrambling sound, and then
all was white fog and silence, broken only by our panting breath.

"Dick! Where are you?" cried Uncle Jack taking a step forward.

"Mind!" cried Uncle Bob, catching him by the arm.

It was well he did, for that was the rustling scrambling noise again
falling on my ears, with a panting struggle, and two voices in the dense
fog seeming to utter ejaculations of horror and dread.

CHAPTER FIVE.

A NIGHT OF ANXIETY.

I looked in the direction from which the sounds came, but there was
nothing visible, save the thick white fog, and in my excitement and
horror, thinking I was looking in the wrong direction, I turned sharply
round.

White fog.

I looked in another direction.

White fog.

Then I seemed to lose my head altogether, and hurried here and there
with my hands extended, completely astray.

It only took moments, swift moments, for all this to take place, and
then I heard voices that I knew, but sounding muffled and as if a long
way off.

"Cob! Where are you, Cob?"

"Here," I shouted. "I'll try and come."

"No, no!"--it was Uncle Jack who s