No, they were completely in this man’s power. If he put them on the right path to Three Towers all well and good. If not——But she refused to think of that.

   “I’m sure it isn’t raining hard any more,” Laura broke in on her thoughts. “Don’t you think we could go now?”

   “Even if it hasn’t stopped raining we don’t mind,” added Vi eagerly. “We’re wet now, and we won’t mind being a little bit wetter.”

   For an answer the man opened the door and crawled out into the open. In a moment he was back with what seemed to the girls the best news they had ever heard.

   “The rain is over,” he said, “but the foliage is still dripping. If you really don’t mind getting wet——”

   “Oh, we don’t!” they cried, and were starting from the door when Vi suddenly remembered something.

   “The ferns!” she cried. “Where are they?”

   The girls searched frantically about, knowing that their botany teacher would reprimand them if they did not bring back the ferns, and finally found

   them on the floor where somebody had brushed them in the excitement.

   Then they crept out through the door, their strange acquaintance lingering behind to put out the light, and found themselves in the cool darkness of the forest.

   “Do you suppose he will really take us back?” Vi whispered, close to Billie’s ear.

   “He’d better!” said Billie, clenching her hands fiercely against her side. “If he doesn’t I’ll—I’ll—murder him!”

   “Goodness, don’t talk of murder,” cried Laura hysterically. “It’s an awful word to use in the dark, and everything!”

   “There’s only one word worse,” said a gloomy voice so close behind them that Vi clapped a hand to her mouth to keep from crying out. “And that,” the gloomy voice went on, “is

    theft

   !”

   The girls never afterward knew what kept them from breaking loose and running away. Probably it was because they were paralyzed with fright.

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