I'm ready," said Josh. "But it is no end of a long
way."

"Why, we've been there lots of times before now."

"Yes, but we started early in the morning."

"It doesn't matter," said Will. "I have been wanting to go there again
for a long time."

The Great Gray Tor was surrounded by mists which were wreathed round it
half-way up, while the dark summit peering out above the vapour looked
like some vast head emerging from a miniature sea.

"It's glorious," said Will, as the two boys got away into the wild
rugged country, clothed here and there with marshes where numbers of
flowers were growing luxuriantly, their blooms making bright splashes of
colour. "Fancy his wanting to paint all this, though!"

"Oh, I believe he would paint anything."

"Well, he will soon have finished everything here. He's done the mill,
and the sunsets, and old Drinkwater's cottage. There will be nothing
left soon for him to daub."

"Oh, yes; there will," said Josh, knowingly, as they trudged on. "I
heard my father talking about it. He said these artist chaps had a new
way of looking at everything each day of their lives. So that means
that he will want to paint everything all over again. Glad I am not an
artist. I don't like doing things over again."

"Ho!" said Will. "I don't care."

"No more do I," said Josh, "for I'm not an artist and I am not going to
be one. But what are you staring at?"

"I've lost the way," said Will, at last.

"Ditto," said Josh. "Have you really? Shout. Mr Manners might hear."

"You shout."

Josh did so.

"Bah! Nobody could hear that."

Josh shouted once more.

"Shout again," said Will.

"No, you have a try. I shall be hoarse."

"All right then.--Mr Manners--ahoy!"

"He won't hear the Mister," said Josh, scornfully.

"No, of course not," said Will. "Manners--ahoy!"

"Ahoy!" came in a faint whisper.

"It's an echo," said Josh.

"Well, I know that, stupid."

"He may have come round another way," hazarded Josh.

"May anything," said Will. "But I don't believe there is another way.--
Mr Manners!--Ahoy!" he shouted.

"Ahoy-oy?" came back faintly again.

"There!"

"It is only the echo. Seems too foolish to lose your way in a place
like this."

"Good as anywhere else," said Josh, cheerily. "But there's the Tor, and
there's Mr Manners."

"Where is he?" said Will, sharply.

"Why, at the Tor."

"Ugh! There, come on. None of your jokes."

"Well, we can't be far wron