eady," Cumshaw told him. "I came to call you."

The two men walked side by side to the hut. At the entrance Cumshaw
paused. "Nearer fourteen than ten," he said thoughtfully.

"Very likely," said Bradby indifferently. "What about that meal? I'm as
hungry as a hunter."

They were on short commons. Bradby ate heartily, remarking once that
there'd be food enough to go round to-morrow. Cumshaw laughed and said
he hoped so, but that to-morrow was a day that never came to some
people. Bradby absently ignored the challenge in Cumshaw's reply and
kept silence for the rest of the time.

After breakfast the two of them took the saddle-bags down to the hole,
placed them inside, and then stamped the earth tightly down on top of
them.

"Now that's done," said Bradby, with an air of relief, "the sooner we
get out of here the better."

"How about old bones over there?" Cumshaw said, pointing to the
skeleton.

"Better sling him into the bushes," Bradby suggested, all his
superstitious fears vanishing now that it was broad daylight.

"Poor old sinner," said Cumshaw as he lifted up the remains in his
strong arms. "It might just as easily be one of us."

"Don't talk like that!" Bradby cried. "It's tempting Providence."

"You and I, Jack, have tempted that same all the days of our lives, and
we're likely to keep on until the end, so why growl about this
particular incident?"

Bradby muttered something unintelligible, and Cumshaw, who was all for
haste now that their work was finished, did not ask him to repeat his
remark.

Both horses had cropped their fill of grass, and the lame one seemed
slightly better. Its limp was not so pronounced and the swelling had
gone down.

"It's out of the question getting them out the way we got them in,"
Cumshaw said. "I wonder if there's any other way."

"Nothing like having a try," Bradby advised. "That darned old hermit
must have come in some way, and I don't reckon it was the way we came
in. If I was you I'd try over there towards the west. The hills look low
enough."

So they turned off at right angles to their path and presently were
edging their way through the wood again. As Bradby had surmised, the
ground rose steadily, though it was very rough. Big boulders lay about
the ground amongst the trees, which were thinning off. Soon they emerged
on to what was open country, and speedily found themselves right under a
ledge of rock which rose sheerly above their heads to a height of twe