Anon a voice answered them down the valley. They ran on as well as the darkness would let them, and soon found that it was David Dunster, who had been in the plantations on the other side of the valley; but hearing nothing of the lost children, now joined them. He said he had heard the cry from the hill side farther down, that answered to their shouts; and he was sure that it was his boy David's voice. But he had shouted again, and there had been no answer but a wild scream as of terror, that made his blood run cold. "O God!" exclaimed the distracted mother, "what can it be! David! David! Jane Nancy!" There was no answer. The young men bade Betty Dunster to contain herself, and they would find the children before they went home again. All held on down the valley, and in the direction whence the voice came. Many times did the young men and the now strongly agitated father shout and listen. At length they seemed to hear voices of weeping and moaning. They listened--they were sure they heard a lamenting--it could only be the children. But why then did they not answer? On struggled the men, and Mrs. Dunster followed wildly after. Now, again, they stood and shouted, and a kind of terrified scream followed the shout. "God in heaven!" exclaimed the mother; "what is it? There is something dreadful. My children! my children! where are you?" "Be silent, pray do, Mrs. Dunster," said one of the young men, "or we can not catch the sounds so as to follow them." They again listened, and the wailings of the children were plainly heard. The whole party pushed forward over stock and stone up the hill. They called again, and there was a cry of "Here! here! fayther! mother! where are you?" In a few moments more the whole party had reached the children, who stood drenched with rain, and trembling violently, under a cliff that gave no shelter, but was exposed especially to the wind and rain. "O Christ! my children!" cried the mother, wildly, struggling forward and clasping one in her arms. "Nancy! Jane! But where is David? David! David! Oh, where is David? Where is your brother?" The whole party was startled at not seeing the boy, and joined in a simultaneous "Where is he? where is your brother?" The two children only wept and trembled more violently, and burst into loud crying. "Silence!" shouted the father. "Where is David? I tell ye? Is he lost? David, lad, where ar ta?" All listened, but there was no answer but the renewed crying of the two girls. "Where is the lad, then?" thundered forth the father with a terrible oath. The two terrified children cried, "Oh, down there! down there!" "Down where? Oh, God!" exclaimed one of the young men; "why it's a precipice! Down there!"