reamed of what he was going to buy. He heard they had some mighty fine boomerangs for only three shillings. But Lysander would soon be too old for silly games like that. He wasn’t sure of his age, but he figured he’d be up to eighteen years pretty soon. Maybe he ought to save his money for a fancy suit, so he could go into town and get a real job. Lysander laughed aloud at that, imaging himself getting a suit-and-tie job. Lysander was a woodsman and would always be a woodsman. How about some soap? Lysander ran his fingers through his greasy hair. Maybe Lysander could impress a pretty girl. It was high time he found himself a female companion. A nice little wife to wash his face and soothe his lips.Lysander wandered alone through the forest for a long time, dreaming about how much fun he was going to have in town. The red-haired boy and he had not been successful in their “private property” scheme for weeks. And five whole shillings to himself? He felt like a rich man. But, where was town anyway? Suddenly Lysander found himself in an unfamiliar part of the forest. A strange bright green stood a few hundred feet away. What plant was that, he wondered? It glowed with an almost eerie iridescence. Lysander hurried closer. It was a wall of green vine, built straight and unnaturally. What man lives here and knows the art of growing such a vine? Lysander walked around the wall. It continued in a straight line. He reached an opening in the wall, a tall entrance.“Hello!” Lysander called in, but he heard no reply. He peered inside but the vines overgrew the pathways. I ought to go home for a sharp knife so I can explore this dilapidated place, Lysander thought. Living in the forest, Lysander practically had a compass built in his head. He could simply sense the direction for home. And so he began.No more than a hundred paces, Lysander noticed a shaggy lean-to. A huge, strong oak s...
