“The proper way is to jump,” said John. He took a flying leap off the path and into the wood. “Now, you three, all jump off the path at different places.”
They all jumped and, having thus thrown off the pursuit of all possible enemies, they came together again and began climbing down through the steep wood. They slipped and stumbled and saved themselves from falling by holding to the stems of the trees.
Roger spoke privately to Titty.
“But were the charcoal-burners enemies?” he said.
“No. Not just then,” said Titty, “but, of course, they might be.”
“I liked them,” said Roger.
“So did I,” said Titty, “especially the serpent. But they were savages all the same. The serpent showed it. Besides they’re no good if they aren’t savages.”
“But they don’t really eat people,” said Roger.
“They may have eaten hundreds of thousands,” said Titty.
They came to the road and crossed it.
“I see water,” said John.
“The sea,” shouted Titty.
A moment later they came out of the trees on the shore of the great lake. They looked round for Swallow and saw her where they had left her, about a hundred yards away.
“Properly,” said Captain John, “we ought to have made marks all the way up, so that we could have come out exactly at the same place. But we’ve