Never had I ventured into so pestilent and forbidding a place.
Mordaunt Heatherstone strode on, however, with a set purpose upon his swarthy brow, and we could but follow him, determined to stand by him to the end of the adventure.

As we advanced, the path grew narrower and narrower until, as we saw by the tracks, our predecessors had been compelled to walk in single file.

Fullarton was leading us with the dog, Mordaunt behind him, while I brought up the rear.

The peasant had been sulky and surly for a little time back, hardly answering when spoken to, but he now stopped short and positively refused to go a step farther.
"It's no' canny," he said, "besides I ken where it will lead us tae'" "Where, then ?" I asked.
"Tae the Hole o' Cree," he answered.

"It's no far frae here, I'm thinking." "The Hole of Cree! What is that, then ?" "It's a great, muckle hole in the ground that gangs awa' doon so deep that naebody could ever reach the bottom.