They listened. And as the man's voice rang out in the quiet gully and the
echoes rumbled round the ridge and the affrighted birds flew up, the place
felt eerie somehow.

"It's no use bein' afraid of him," Dad went on. "We must go and bounce
him, that's all." But there was a tremor in Dad's voice which Dave
did n't like.

"See if he knows us, anyway."--and Dad shouted, "HEY-Y!"

Jack looked up and immediately scrambled from the limb. That was enough
for Dave. He turned and made tracks. So did Dad and Joe. They ran.
No one could have run harder. Terror overcame Joe. He squealed and
grabbed hold of Dad's shirt, which was ballooning in the wind.

"Let go!" Dad gasped. "DAMN Y', let me GO! "--trying to shake him off.
But Joe had great faith in his parent, and clung to him closely.

When they had covered a hundred yards or so, Dave glanced back, and seeing
that Jack was n't pursuing them, stopped and chuckled at the others.

"Eh?" Dad said, completely winded--"Eh?" Then to Dave, when he got
some breath:

"Well, you ARE an ass of a fellow. (PUFF!). What th' DEVIL did y' RUN f'?"

"Wot did I run f'? What did YOU run f'?"

"Bah!" and Dad boldly led the way back.