times are hard, I don't mind accepting your offer,
miss.'

So saying, to Tilsa's immense delight, the hedgehog retired under the
bush again, and came out carrying the Flamp compass. 'Is there anything
else I can do for you?' he asked. 'Any periwinkle brooms or mallow
cheeses this morning? We have a nice stock of thistle-clocks just in.'

'No, thank you,' Tilsa replied as they hurried off. 'Nothing more
to-day. Good-morning.'

The compass was neatly contrived of the cup of an acorn, through the
bottom of which ran a hedgehog's prickle. Balanced on the point was the
needle, a spear of dried grass, and over all was a spider's web to serve
as glass.

VIII

No matter how the Flamp compass was twisted, the needle pointed steadily
to the mountains before them, and the children marched bravely forward.
They were hungry and tired, but Tilsa would as soon have thought of
asking Tobene to carry her as of turning back. As for Tobene, he put one
foot before the other as firmly as he was able, and tried to forget the
loss of his treasures.

The worst part of the journey was clambering over the hot rocks when the
mountains were reached, and the travellers did at last lose their
resolute cheerfulness, and had just sat down in the shade to have a good
cry, when they suddenly heard the sound of singing. Not exactly singing;
rather a melancholy droning, or chanting, as of a dirge. Listening
intently, they could make out these words:

_I'm not in the least in love with life;
I might be, p'raps, if I had a wife
To care for me in a wifely way,
Or a neighbour or two to say good-day,
Or a chum
To come
And give me the news in a friendly talk,
Or share a duet or a meal or a walk.
But all alone in the world am I,
And I sit in a cave,
And try to behave
As a good Flamp should, with philosophy.
I shan't last long, for the cave is damp,
And nothing's so bad for a Flamp
As cramp...._

'It's the Flamp!' said both children together, fearfully.

The chanting began again, and Tilsa and Tobene jumped up and, following
the sound of the voice, came to a wide and heavily-trodden path between
two rocks. They plodded along it until, rounding a crag, they perceived
immediately before them a yawning cave. Although the singer was out of
sight, the noise made by him was now almost overwhelming and so dismal
that the children were on the point of joining in the