r needn't ha' been in such a hurry to find
Mr Lane all to yerself. But yer allus was a graspin' sort o' chap,
Billy."

"You're another," growled Wriggs; "but don't stand hargeying there.
Here's Mr Lane that stiff he can't move hisself, and he wants us to
give him a real 'poo."

"Whatcher mean, mate?"

"Well, a shampoo, then."

"Hold on. Don't you try them games, mate, for you was never cut out for
the work. He thinks that's a joke, Mr Lane, sir. But do you want your
jyntes rubbed a bit?"

"No, no, I shall be better directly," cried Oliver. "Oh, yes, I can
walk. Only a bit stiff. Where are the others?"

"Coming through that bit o' wood, sir, where it's all thorns and
fish-hooks. Mr Rimmer's there and your two messmates."

"But how did you get through the mist?"

"We didn't, sir. We got a boat down to the shore, launched her and
rowed doo north for a bit, and then landed and come along hunting for
yer. Why, that there mist goes right down the shore and out to sea,
where you can smell it as it comes bubbling up through the water."

"But how did you get a boat down?" cried Oliver. "It must be a good two
miles."

"Nay, sir, seemed to us like a bad four mile," grumbled Wriggs.

"Yah! not it, Billy. Oh, we did it, sir. Took the littlest, and the
carpenter made a couple o' runners for it out of a spare yard, and so
long as we picked our way she come along beautiful. Yer see we meant to
do it, and o' course we did it, and here we are."

"Ahoy!" yelled Wriggs again, and an answer was heard from close at hand,
as Panton suddenly came into sight.

"Found him?" he shouted, but he caught sight of his companion at the
same moment, and rushed, out of breath and streaming with perspiration,
to catch Lane's hands; his lips moved as he tried to speak, but not a
word would come.

"Ahoy!" yelled Wriggs again, and Smith followed his example after
turning his back to the two young men.

A minute later Drew came into sight, and then Mr Rimmer, and somehow,
he, too, seemed to be affected like Drew and Panton, for he could only
shake hands and try to speak, but not a word came.

"Lost all my wind," he cried, at last, but in a husky, choky voice.
"All right now, and jolly glad to see you again, sir. Hang it, what's
the matter with my throat? I know: it's those nuts I picked as we came
along. Phew! how hot it is."

"Lane, old chap," whispered Panton, "we thought you'd left us in the
lurch."

"That we did,"