But they still couldn’t find the railway lines. Where were the wretched things? A small feeling of panic came into Julian’s mind. Which way should they step now, to find the rails? How had they gone wrong?

Now both boys were on hands and knees, feeling for the broken rails. “I’ve got one,” said Dick. “No, blow, it isn’t. It’s a bit of wood, or something. For goodness’ sake, keep close to me, Ju.”

After ten minutes’ search, the two boys sat back on their heels, the little torch between them.

“Somehow we’ve just missed those two or three correct steps from the gorse-bush to the rails,” said Julian. “Now we’re done! I don’t see anything for it but to wait till the mist clears.”

“But what about the two girls?” said Dick, anxiously. “Let’s try a bit longer. Look, the mist is clearing a little there. Let’s go forward and hope we’ll stumble over the lines soon. If the mist does clear, we shall soon be able to get our bearings.”

So they went forward hopefully, seeing the mist clear a little in front of them, so that the torch made a longer beam for them to see by. Now and again, when their feet knocked against something hard, they felt for the rails. But they could not find even one!

“Let’s shout,” said Julian, at last. So they shouted loudly. “George! Anne! Can you hear us?”

They stood and listened. No answer.

“GEORGE!” yelled Dick. “TIMMY!”

They thought they heard a far-off bark. “That was Timmy!” said Julian. “Over there!”

They stumbled along and then shouted again. But this time there was no bark at all. Not a sound came out of that dreadful mist, which had now closed tightly round them again.

“We’ll be walking in it all night long,” said Julian, desperately. “Why did we leave the girls? Suppose this frightful fog doesn’t clear by tomorrow? Sometimes it lasts for days.”

“What a horrible idea,” said Dick, lightly, sounding much more cheerful than he felt. “I don’t think we need worry about the girls, Ju. Timmy’s with them and he can easily take them back to the stables across the moor, in the mist. Dogs don’t mind fogs.”

Julian felt most relieved. He hadn’t thought of that. “Oh yes, I’d forgotten old Tim,” he said. “Well, seeing that the girls will probably be all right with Timmy to guide them, let’s sit down somewhere and have a rest. I’m tired out!”

“Here’s a good thick bush,” said Dick. “Let’s get into the middle of it if we can, and keep the damp out of us. Thank goodness it’s not a gorse-bush!”

“I wish I knew if the girls had had the sense not to wait for us any longer, but to try to find their way back down the lines,” said Julian. “I wonder where they are now?”

Anne and George were no longer where Julian and Dick had left them! They had waited and waited, and then had become very anxious indeed.