An' I told her, Johnny--told her just where the cavern was up there in the gorge, an' how you wouldn't hardly miss it if you tried.

An' she asked me how long it would take to _walk_ there, an' I told her half an hour.

An' she's going to the cavern, Johnny!" He was telescoping his long glass as he spoke, and while Aldous was still staring toward the gorge in wonderment and a little fear, he added: "We'd better follow.

Quade an' Rann can't get here inside o' two or three hours, an' we'll be back before then." Again he rumbled with that curious chuckling laugh.

"She beat us, Johnny, she beat us fair! An' she's got spirrit, a wunnerful spirrit, to go up there alone!" Aldous wanted to run, but he held himself down to MacDonald's stride.