heart--it was not quite so dark, but she had not the very least
idea where she was going. She kept bumping and knocking herself against
the trunks; she was evidently not in a path, but wandering farther and
farther among the forest trees. That was about all she could feel sure
of, and after two or three more vain efforts Olive fairly gave up, and,
sinking down on the ground, again burst into tears.

"If I but had a mariner's compass," she thought, her fancy wandering off
to all the stories of lost people she had ever heard of. Then she
further reflected that a compass would do her very little good if it was
too dark to see it, and still more as she had not the slightest idea
whether her road lay north, south, east, or west. "If the stars were
out!" was her next idea; but then, I am ashamed to say, Olive's ideas of
astronomy were limited. She could have perhaps recognised the Plough and
the Pole star, but she could not remember which way they pointed.
Besides, she did not feel quite sure that in Thueringen one would see the
same stars as in England or Paris; and, after all, as there were none
visible, it was no good puzzling about it, only if they _had_ been there
it would not have seemed so lonely. Suddenly--what was that in the
distance? A light, a tiny light, bobbing in and out of sight among the
trees? Could it be a star come out of its way to take pity on her? Much
more likely a Will-o'-the-wisp; for she did not stop to reflect that a
dry pine forest in summer-time is not one of Will-o'-the-wisp's
favourite playgrounds. It was a light, as to that there was no doubt,
and it was coming nearer. Whether she was more frightened or glad Olive
scarcely knew. Still, almost anything was better than to sit there to be
eaten up by bears, or to die of starvation; and she eagerly watched the
light now steadily approaching her, till it came near enough for her to
see that it was a lantern carried by some person not high above the
ground. A boy perhaps; could it be--oh, joyful thought!--could it be
Rex? But no; even if they were all looking for her it was not likely
that they would let Rex be running about alone to get lost too. Still,
it must _be_ a boy, and without waiting to think more Olive called out--

"Oh, please come and help me! I'm lost in the wood!" she cried, thinking
nothing of German or anything but her sore distress.

The lantern moved about undecidedly for a moment or two, then the light
flashed towards her and c