ted, clapped his hand to
his cheek, and gave out the Australians' far piercing cry--"Cooey!"
listened, and then quite excitedly told his cousin to try.

Dean obeyed him and uttered his shrill version of the cry. Then both
stood and listened--listened with throbbing hearts for some response, no
matter how distant, but listened in vain, and the silence now seemed
more than awful.

"Oh, it's nonsense to take it like this," cried Mark, with another burst
of energy. "Here, Dean."

"Well, what?"

"Let's look it all in the face. We know that we can't be far from where
we came in. We know too that we left father and Dr Robertson just
outside, and that Mak came in before us."

"Yes, yes!"

"Well, then, what is there to mind? All we have got to do is to stand
still and let them find us; and if they try and can't make out where we
are, they will bring all the men to help. Here, let's lean up against
one of the trees a bit and listen and think."

"Can't!" said Dean passionately. "I feel that if I stood still I should
go mad. Let's keep on trying."

"Yes," said Mark excitedly, "let's keep on trying. Will you go one way,
and I will go the other, and the one that finds the way out can cooey."

"No," cried Dean feverishly, "don't let's separate. We must keep close
together."

"Yes," said Mark, "we must keep close together. Come on, and let's walk
quickly."

They started off, with Mark leading, and for quite half an hour they
threaded their way in and out amongst the huge pillar-like trunks, which
seemed to have grown closer together and looked as though if they were
left undisturbed for a few years longer they would all join together and
form an impenetrable wall. Then with the darkness seeming thicker than
ever, they stopped short and stood hand in hand.

"Dean," said Mark, at last, and he looked at his cousin's dimly-seen
face, "do you know what we have been doing?"

"Yes: making it more difficult for them to find us."

"Yes, that we have," said Mark; "and yet it seemed so impossible, just
as if after walking in we had nothing to do but to walk out again; and
here we are, thoroughly lost."

"But it only means," said Dean, trying to speak firmly, but failing
dismally, "being lost for a few hours or so, or at the worst having to
stop all night."

"Without food or water!" said Mark bitterly. "And what about the wild
beasts?"

"Not a place for lions," said Dean.

"No, I know that; but doesn't it seem