g," said Josh.

"We might be miles out," said Will; "and it will be dark soon. We were
precious stupids to come all this way on the bare chance of meeting him.
He may have gone off home."

"Then we should have been sure to meet him."

"Why?" said Will.

"Because he would have come this way. It's the only safe one, on
account of the bogs. Somewhere near here a man and a horse were
swallowed up once."

"Don't believe it," said Will.

"You ask father."

It was steady uphill work now; then real climbing; here and there their
way was checked by a miniature heather-crowned crater, down which they
peered, to see stony ledges and then a sheer fall.

"He is only an ignorant Londoner after all," said Will, thoughtfully, as
they scrambled on. "He might have let himself fall down one of those
places."

"Any one might do that," said Josh. "Hark! What's that?"

"Didn't hear anything," said Will.

"That's because you don't listen. Now!" said Josh, sharply.

Will uttered a cry.

"Yes," he said, excitedly.

"You heard it?"

"Yes, yes!"

There was a groan.

"There!" cried Will. "It's Mr Manners, and something's happened to
him.--Manners!--Ahoy!"

No answer came.

"Wouldn't be having a game with us, would he?"

"No," said Josh. "I don't think he'd do that."

"Then let's go on a bit farther."

The late afternoon sun lit up the valley away to the left, which the Tor
had hitherto concealed from their view. They scrambled on in the heat
over the rough stone escarpments and amidst the gorse.

"Now, let's listen again," said Will.

They halted, and Josh wiped his streaming face.

"Shout again," he said huskily.

"Shall I?"

"Yes."

"Manners!--Ahoy!" shouted Will.

There was no response.

"Perhaps it wasn't he," said Josh.

"Perhaps he's so busy painting something or another that he hasn't been
able to hear."

"Oh, perhaps anything," said Will. "Come on, I am certain now. It's
that big cleft where we found the stonechats. He will have fallen down
there, paint and all."

"Help!" came faintly now. "Help--help!"

"Hear that?" panted Josh, looking scared, and then radiant.

"Yes," said Will; "I hear. He's in danger." And the two lads tore on
as fast as they could up the steep slippery incline.

CHAPTER FIVE.

THE SEARCH PARTY.

"Master Will has not been back, sir," said the servant, when Mr Willows
inquired towards evening as to the whereabouts of his son.

"But," he said t