Not a ray of starlight had we to guide us,--nothing but inky blackness around and over us.

We tried to make Nettle go first, intending to follow his lead, and trusting to his keeping the track; but Nettle's place was at my heels, and neither coaxing nor scolding would induce him to forego it.

A forlorn hope was nothing to the dangers of each footstep.

First one and then the other volunteered to lead the way, declaring they could find the track.

All this time we were trying to strike the indistinct road among the tussocks, made by occasional wheels to our house, but the marks, never very distinct in daylight, became perfect will-o'-the-wisps at night.