" But, the next
instant, came the truer wisdom: "If anything unusual occurs, go on
doing exactly what you were doing before. Hold the atmosphere, as it
were." And on this latter inspiration he decided to act at once--
Only to discover that Tim had realised it before him. The boy was
pulling at him. "_Do_ come on, Uncle!" he was saying. "We shall go mad
with fright if we keep on standing here--we shall be raving lunatics!"
They set off wildly then, plunging helter-skelter into the silent,
heartless wood. The trees miraculously opened up a way for them as
they dived and stooped and wriggled forward. In which direction they
were going neither of them had the least idea, but as neither one nor
the other disappeared, it was clear they had not reached the actual
centre. They gasped and spluttered, their breath grew shorter, the
darkness increased. They came to all sorts of curious places that
deceived them; ways opened invitingly, then closed down again and
blocked advance; there were clearings that were obviously false, open
places that were plainly sham; and a dozen times they came to spots
that seemed familiar, but which really they had never seen before.
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