sisters. "Don't, David, don't! It's perhaps the
old man out of the mountain that's been mocking us. Perhaps," added
Jane, "he only comes out in starms and darkness."

"Stuff!" said David, "an echo isn't a man; it's only our own voices.
I'll see who it is;" and away he darted, spite of the poor girls' crying
in terror, "Don't; don't, David; oh, don't!"

But David was gone. He was not long in reaching the old man, who sate on
his stone breathing hard, as if out of breath with his ascent, but not
appearing to perceive David's approach. The rain and the wind drove
fiercely upon him, but he did not seem to mind it. David was half afraid
to approach close to him, but he called out, "Help! help, mester!" The
old man remained as unconscious of his presence. "Hillo!" cried David
again. "Can you tell us the way down, mester?" There was no answer, and
David was beginning to feel a shudder of terror run through every limb,
when the clouds cleared considerably, and he suddenly exclaimed, "Why,
it's old Tobias Turton of top of Edale, and he's as deaf as a door
nail!"

In an instant David was at his side; seized his coat to make him aware
of his presence, and, on the old man perceiving him, shouted in his ear,
"Which is the way down here, Mester Turton? Where's the track?"

"Down? Weighs o' the back?" said the old man; "ay, my lad, I was fain to
sit down; it does weigh o' th' back, sure enough."

"Where's the foot-track?" shouted David, again.

"Th' foot-track? Why, what art ta doing here, my lad, in such a starm?
Isn't it David Dunster's lad?"

David nodded. "Why, the track's here--see!" and the old man stamped his
foot. "Get down hom, my lad, as fast as thou can. What dun they do
letting thee be upon th' hills in such a dee as this?"

David nodded his thanks, and turned to descend the track, while the old
man, adjusting his burden again, silently and wearily recommenced his
way upward.

David shouted to his sisters as he descended, and they quickly replied.
He called to them to come toward him, as he was on the track, and was
afraid to quit it again. They endeavored to do this; but the darkness
was now redoubled, and the wind and rain became more furious than ever.
The two sisters were soon bewildered among the bushes; and David, who
kept calling to them at intervals to direct their course toward him,
soon heard them crying bitterly. At this, he forgot the necessity of
keeping the track, and darting toward them, soon found