'Come,' she said, looking lovingly at the bangle; 'it is peace
between your house and mine.'

She picked up her fish and pitcher and led the way up the narrow
path by which she had come and the others followed.

'This is something like!' said Cyril, trying to be brave.

'Yes!' said Robert, also assuming a boldness he was far from
feeling, 'this really and truly IS an adventure! Its being in
the Past makes it quite different from the Phoenix and Carpet
happenings.'

The belt of thick-growing acacia trees and shrubs--mostly prickly
and unpleasant-looking--seemed about half a mile across. The
path was narrow and the wood dark. At last, ahead, daylight
shone through the boughs and leaves.

The whole party suddenly came out of the wood's shadow into the
glare of the sunlight that shone on a great stretch of yellow
sand, dotted with heaps of grey rocks where spiky cactus plants
showed gaudy crimson and pink flowers among their shabby,
sand-peppered leaves. Away to the right was something that
looked like a grey-brown hedge, and from beyond it blue smoke
went up to the bluer sky. And over all the sun shone till you
could hardly bear your clothes.

'That is where I live,' said the girl pointing.

'I won't go,' whispered Jane into the basket, 'unless you say