rough heather and
bilberry bushes, over stones and rocks, only feeling that they were
going downhill. It was very slow progress. Ralph stopped continually to
consult his compass, and occasionally gave a loud "cooee", in case they
might find some wandering shepherd or countryman who would be able to
help them. There was no answer to his calls, however--only the
occasional bleat of a sheep that sounded far off and muffled through
the mist. They knew there was neither cottage nor farm within hail, and
unless they could strike the road they might wander on hour after hour
over the moors, only getting farther and farther out of their way. Tired
out with the rough trudge, the girls at last declared they must sit
still for a few minutes and rest.

"I'm awfully sorry to have landed you in such a hole," said Ralph, "but
who would have thought those innocent-looking clouds would have come
down on us like feather beds? You really never know what to expect on
these hills."

"I wonder what we'd better do?" said Monica.

"Stay where we are," suggested Irene.

"It would be too cold to spend the night here," replied Meta.

"We haven't even our jackets with us," added Lindsay.

"Unless we're quite dead beat, we'd better push on," said Leonard. "I'm
hoping we may come to the stream, because we could find our way along
the banks to Whitcombe, at any rate. I've been listening for it all the
time, but I haven't heard a sound."

"I wish we had a divining rod!" groaned Rhoda. "That would tell us in
what direction the water lay. We've been going south-east all the time,
haven't we?"

"Yes, I believe the stream lay due south from where we started,"
answered Ralph, "but I didn't dare to turn that way, because of the
quarry. Perhaps we may strike it higher up. If you're rested, girls,
we'll be going."

The damp, clinging clouds appeared to have settled down to stay. The
wind that had been blowing earlier in the day, when they ascended Pendle
Tor, had ceased, and there was not even the breath of a breeze to blow
away the clammy mist that was already drenching their clothes with a
chilly dew. It was now half-past five o'clock, and they had been
wandering for more than an hour.

"I haven't an idea where we are, nor how far we've come," said Ralph. "I
only know I've been steering east by the compass. Of course we've been
going very slowly, but I think we shouldn't be far from the brook. If we
could find that, it would be an enormous help