uppose it's all right,' Tobene faltered. 'But he's drefful
big, isn't he?'

'I'm afraid he is rather large,' said Tilsa, as cheerfully as she could.

'And isn't he mighty ferocious?'

'Well,' said Tilsa, 'they say so, but nobody's sure. And you know, Toby
dear, what silly things the people here say about the sun shining
nowhere else but on the plain. We know better than that, don't we? Well,
very likely they're just as wrong about the Flamp. So you will go, Toby,
won't you?'

'Yes, I'll go,' said Tobene. 'When shall we start?'

'Now,' said Tilsa. 'I want you to dress directly without making any
noise. I'm going to write a little note to Alison,--she's too old to
come with us,--and then I'll be ready too.'

Tilsa hurried back to her room, and wrote the following note to old
Alison:--

MY VERY DEAR ALISON--Toby and me are going to try and find the
Flamp and give him simpithy, which I am sure is what he wants,
because he cries and makes a noise just like you did to-day, only
louder, and that is what you said you wanted, dear Alison. Please
don't be frightened, because you said we ought always to give
simpithy when we can, however much it costs us. Please tell
grandpapa if the Flamp is what I think he is there won't be any
need to sircumvent him. With love and kisses, your loving TILSA.

Tilsa slipped the note under Alison's door and then fetched Tobene from
his room. They went first to the larder and packed a small basket with
food. Tobene's vote was for blancmange and jam tarts, but Tilsa said
that bread and biscuits were better.

'How about salt?' Toby asked.

'Salt?' said Tilsa, 'what for?'

'To put on the Flamp's tail and catch him,' said Toby. 'Else how are you
going to hug him, Tilsa?'

VII

The two little explorers squeezed through the bars of the northern gate
and for an hour or more hurried as fast as they could along the white
road. They had no plan. All that Tilsa knew was that the Flamp lived
somewhere in the mountains, but whether it was north or south, east or
west, she could not say.

At the end of the second hour, Tilsa felt certain that it was time to
leave the road, because day was not far off and they were very weary.

'Cheer up, Toby,' she said. 'We'll soon lie down and have some sleep.
I'm going to shut my eyes and I want you to turn me round three times,
and whichever way I walk then, that way we shall go.'

This was done, and Tilsa