The Manor House School

dle

hey announced their intention of climbing a small hill behind the Vicarage in the afternoon, and having an alfresco tea on their own account, which was to be equal, if not superior, to that enjo

urney, to judge from the baskets full of provisions which they bore with them. Leonard had taken a milk-can that would serve to boil

ishy sixpence-halfpenny tin ones the solder all melted directly we put it on to the fire, and the spou

expecting to hear a smash after the reckles

l enamel ones. The Mater wouldn't trus

lemere," remarked Ralph. "If we could manage to tickl

oaching!" de

If Sir Percy complains that any are missing, y

come sometimes and try to fish. You see, as he says, if everyone were allowed to take fish, there would soon be none left, and people would begin to do it for the sake of se

n trout tickled

hings you can imagine. I'm glad we don't have to depend on Ralph's skill for our dinner. I was hoping we might find some mushrooms, and stew the

oms', for you don't even know whether there'll be any,"

ved off the edge of their hunger with a few biscuits, and, trudging on, covered the last mile in such quick time that Leonard declared it reminded him of a paper-chase. It was rather a steep pull to gain the highest

nica, pointing to some rather threatening

it does, for we haven't an umbre

ver. I don't mind giving you a butter-scotch in exchange for every drop of rain you get on your hat to-day," declared Ralph

. "I don't like the look of the sky myself. But what's the odds? It won't be the

Rhoda. "I'm getting so famis

em to fill the milk-can which was to serve as a kettle. The boys cut large bundles of dry heather, and, stacking it well together, soon had a good fire burning. They found it after all impossible to suspend the can, for the flames burnt directly through any stick that they tried to hang over the blaze; so they were obli

" said Rhoda to Ralph. "I thought we were

ere to give us mushr

and hard-boiled eggs are quite good enough for me. Did you bring any salt? Another

f-doors," said Lindsay, looking reflectively at the

a flavour. Oh, you needn't distress yourself! Ants are quite wholesome, I assure you. There are

stinging me alrea

tween class champions, and the punishments that had been meted out to certain sneaks and bullies-accounts which were as thrilling in their way as the doughty deeds of mail-clad knights of old, the warlike sentiments being jus

last. "I thought we could see Linforth and the la

e, there was nothing to be seen but a great white wall of mist that seemed to close them in on

This is a nice fix! We're in the middle of a cloud. I never saw it coming up. It will be un

w over, do you th

or days and days together. I wish we had noticed it sooner, and gone down to the road ag

mayn't clear for hours. We'd better pack up our traps, a

find each other again. We'd better keep well to the right; there's an old quarry on the left, and

g near enough to touch one another that they managed to avoid being separated. Though they had some general idea of their direction, they did not really know where they were walking, and stumbled blindly on through heather and bilberry bushes, over stones and rocks, only feeling that they were going downhill. It was very slow progress. Ralph stopped continually to consult his compass, and occasionally gave a loud "cooee", in case they might find some wandering shepherd or c

o would have thought those innocent-looking clouds would have come down on

we'd better d

we are," sug

d to spend the night

our jackets with

ay come to the stream, because we could find our way along the banks to Whitcombe,

t would tell us in what direction the water lay. We

d Ralph, "but I didn't dare to turn that way, because of the quarry. Per

ascended Pendle Tor, had ceased, and there was not even the breath of a breeze to blow away the clammy mist that was already d

been steering east by the compass. Of course we've been going very slowly, but I think w

id Rhoda, pausing a moment. "I'm

m that they could certainly catch the unmistakable rush of a stream flowing swiftly over a rough, stony bed. Guided by the sound, they stum

should never get back again. If we follow it down, it will lead us straight into Whitcombe.

ds. The mist still wrapped them round, and they did not dare to venture away from the water to find smoother walking. The three vi

b up and get on to the road. It's only about three miles farther to Whitcombe vil

id Leonard; "it isn't half as thick as it

n to see the trees. Hurrah! It's clearing ever so. We'll scramble up the bank, and we shall get along much f

e stream had led them in quite a different direction from Linforth, and, as Leonard expressed it, they had "altogether landed themselves in a jolly pickle". Just at present tea seemed the most pressing necessity, so a council of war was held to see what funds could be mustered for the purpose. These did not

hall have to ask them to give us tick. Come along! W

re," added Meta, "and say F

es, were sitting discussing local politics and the chances of the harvest. Tea at the unwonted hour of eight seemed an unprecedented request, and the landlady was

shape of a conveyance that can take us back to Linforth to-night. We've only one and eightpence-halfpenny a

sit down in. Those mists be nasty things up Pendle Tor. It's a mercy as you've got down at all. There was a gentleman from London caught there last autumn, and he wandered round and round in a circle for tw

herself between her two brothers on the front seat. The horse walked up and down hill, and only rose to a measured trot on level ground, so it took a considerable time to accomplish the nine-mile journey, and it was nearly eleven o'clock before they reached the Vicarage. Very tired and cold and cramped, they rushed into the house, where Mrs. Gr

d you on Saturday, and to-day we nearly lost you on the moors. You're going to-morrow, or we might ha

ad so many things to ask about, as well as adventures to tell, that the two were soon chattering as fast as usual. Cicely had made no further important discoveries during the few days, though she had kept a careful watch on Mrs. Wilson, and had once noticed her go up to the lantern room carrying a jug in her hand.

ly. "I should have wanted so dreadfully to tell somebody, I'm afraid Marjorie Butler might have