He was greatly excited, his eyes shining, his mouth smiling, his cheeks flushed.
His audience consisted of Helen, Mrs.Cole, Miss Jones, and Aunt Amy.

He described to them how he had run along the road "for miles and miles and miles," how at last he had found the farm, had rung the bell, and inquired, and discovered Hamlet licking up sugary tea in the farm kitchen; there had then been a rapturous meeting, and he had boldly declared that he could find his way home again without aid.

"They wanted me to be driven home in their trap, but I wasn't going to have that.
They'd been at the fair all day, and didn't want to go out again.

I could see that." So he and Hamlet started gaily on their walk home, and then, in some way or another, he took the wrong turn, and suddenly they were in Mellot Wood.

"It was dark as anything, you know, although there was going to be a moon.