|
|
Page 16:-
turf - it is the glass. Something else drops immediately
after - it is the needle. The compass is broken, and the
exploring party is lost!
It is the practice of the English portion of the human race
to receive all great disasters in dead silence. Mr.
Goodchild restored the useless compass to his pocket without
saying a word, Mr. Idle looked at the landlord, and the
landlord looked at Mr. Idle. There was nothing for it now
but to go on blindfold, and trust to the chapter of chances.
Accordingly, the lost travellers moved forward, still
walking round the slope of the mountain, still desperately
resolved to avoid the Black Arches, and to succeed in
reaching the "certain point."
A quarter of an hour brought them to the brink of a ravine,
at the bottom of which there flowed a muddy little stream.
Here another halt was called, and another consultation took
place. The landlord, still clinging pertinaciously to the
idea of reaching the "point," voted for crossing the ravine,
and going on round the slope of the mountain. Mr. Goodchild,
to the great relief of his fellow-traveller, took another
view of the case, and backed Mr. Idle's proposal to descend
Carrock at once, at any hazard - the rather as the running
stream was a sure guide to follow from the mountain to the
valley. Accordingly, the party descended to the rugged and
stony banks of the stream; and here again Thomas lost ground
sadly, and fell far behind his travelling companions. Not
much more than six weeks had elapsed since he had sprained
one of his ankles, and he began to feel the same ankle
getting rather weak when he found himself among the stones
that were strewn about the running water. Goodchild and the
landlord were getting farther and farther ahead of him. He
saw them cross the stream and disappear round a projection
on its banks. He heard them shout the moment after as a
signal that they had halted and were waiting for him.
Answering the shout, he mended his pace, crossed the stream
where they had crossed it, and was within one step of the
opposite bank, when his foot slipped on a wet stone, his
weak ankle gave a twist outwards, a hot, rending, tearing
pain ran through it at the same moment, and down fell the
idlest of the Two Idle Apprentices, crippled in an instant.
The situation was now, in plain terms, one of absolute
|
Lakes Guides menu.
