"I'm not a bit afraid.

We won't have any fun if we don't go on." "Well then," said Hugh, "I'll go first as I'm a boy, just _in case_, you know, Jeanne, of our meeting anything disagreeable." So down he went, Jeanne following close after.
"I suppose Houpet and the others will come after us," said Jeanne, rather anxiously.

But just as she uttered the words a rather shrill crow made both Hugh and her stop short and look up to the top.

They saw Houpet and the others standing round the edge of the hole.

Houpet gave another crow, in which the two chickens joined him, and then suddenly the stone was shut down--the two children found themselves alone in this strange place, leading to they knew not where! Jeanne gave a little cry--Hugh, too, for a moment was rather startled, but he soon recovered himself.
"Jeanne," he said, "it must be all right.