‘Yes, though I am only at the foot of it,’ she repeated. ‘What does it remind you of?’ I asked. ‘Nothing. I never saw anything it could remind me of,’ she answered. ‘Nor read anything?’ ‘Not that I remember.’ ‘It reminds me of Mount Sinai in the _Pilgrim’s Progress_. You remember Christian was afraid because the side of it which was next the wayside did hang so much over that he thought it would fall on his head.’ ‘I never read the _Pilgrim’s Progress_,’ she returned, in a careless if not contemptuous tone. ‘Didn’t you? Oh, you would like it so much!’ ‘I don’t think I should. I don’t like religious books.’ ‘But that is such a good story!’ ‘Oh! it’s all a trap--sugar on the outside of a pill! The sting’s in the tail of it. They’re all like that. _I_ know them.’ This silenced me, and for a while we went on without speaking. The rain ceased; the mist cleared a little; and I began to think I saw some landmarks I knew. A moment more, and I perfectly understood where we were. ‘I’m all right now, sir,’ I said to Mr Coningham. ‘I can find my way from here.’ As I spoke I pulled up and proceeded to dismount. ‘Sit still,’ he said. ‘We cannot do better than ride on to Mr Forest’s. I don’t know him much, but I have met him, and in a strange country all are friends, I dare say he will take us in for the night. Do you think he could house us?’ ‘I have no doubt of it. For that matter, the boys could crowd a little.’ ‘Is it far from here?’ ‘Not above two miles, I think.’ ‘Are you sure you know the way?’ ‘Quite sure.’ ‘Then you take the lead.’ I did so. He spoke to the guide, and Clara and I rode on in front. ‘You and I seem destined to have adventures together, Clara,’ I said. ‘It seems so. But this is not so much of an adventure as that night on the leads,’ she answered. ‘You would not have thought so if you had been with me in the morning.’ ‘Were you very much frightened?’ ‘I was. And then to think of finding you!’ ‘It was funny, certainly.’ When we reached the house, there was great jubilation over me, but Mr Forest himself was very serious. He had not been back more than half an hour, and was just getting ready to set out again, accompanied by men from the village below. Most of the boys were quite knocked up, for they had been looking for me ever since they missed me. Charley was in a dreadful way. When he saw me he burst into tears, and declared he would never let me go out of his sight again. But if he had been with me, it would have been death to both of us: I could never have got him over the ground. Mr and Mrs Forest received their visitors with the greatest cordiality, and invited them to spend a day or two with them, to which, after some deliberation, Mr Coningham agreed. CHAPTER XVIII. AGAIN THE ICE-CAVE.