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Page 10
"I can't help you, Grace," Madaline replied in a more conciliatory
tone. "The briars are so thick here, they almost tore off my shoe--
it is not laced tight, you know."
"Well, they are tearing up Mrs. Johnston's wash," admitted Grace,
still tagging at the trailing bag, that could not be seen in the
thicket and brambles she dragged it over.
"Oh, Grace! There he comes!" screamed Madaline, as a moving figure
could be outlined in the shadows of the low brush, and tall swamp
berry trees, that just towered high enough to hide the form that
bent and broke the impeding young birches. It was the swish and
motion of the brush that indicated his advance and location.
"Mercy!" yelled Grace, alarmed now in spite of her boasted
courage. "Let's run. But I won't drop this wash. I don't care if
he follows me into the post-office for it," and at that, she gave
the rope one more terrific jerk, the force of which brought the
trailing obstacle out into the path where it had a clear track to
follow the girl, who held madly to the other end of the rope.
No words were wasted as the girls scampered and scurried through
that wood. Grace held firmly to the rope, and could feel that it
still dragged her quarry, while Madaline never turned her head to
see whether or not the pursuing man was at their heels. That they
had not been struck down was enough, to be thankful for, thought
Madaline.
And in all of this, no trace of the other members of the hiking
party was discovered. More than once the girls heard something
they decided ought to be their "Coo-ee" call, but each time it
turned out to be nothing more friendly than the astonished birds,
either laughing at the scouts, or rooting for their successful
escape from the pursuer.
Beaching the big rock that covered the path, and always had to be
climbed over "by hand," the girls scrambled up, then down, and
when Grace gave a necessarily vigorous tug at her rope it sprang
up to her face in a real caress! In fact it actually coiled around
her like a friendly thing.
Mrs. Johnston's wash was gone!
"Oh, he grabbed it!" wailed Grace. "He got hold of my rope when we
had to stop to make the rock and now--he has got it again!"
"Don't you dare stop one minute!" panted Madaline. "You have
almost murdered us as it is," she proclaimed in her excitement,
which always banished her ordinarily sparse supply of reasonable
language.
"Nice way you help a sister," mocked Grace. "I thought you were
going to help me win honors," and she gathered up her delinquent
rope with a much disturbed expression on her pretty face.
"I think I have helped you save your life, if you only knew it,"
Madaline managed to articulate. "The idea--"
"All the same I did tie him up," admitted Grace, bolder now that
she could see the end of the woods. "I don't see how he got loose.
I used the running bow-line, and a couple of clove hitches. Our
old knots came in useful, but they didn't hold evidently. Hark!
Wasn't that a whistle! Sounded like Margaret's trill."
"Yes, and it's away over on the Avenue. Whatever will Captain
Clark say?"
"Now, Madie, you just promise you will say nothing about my man
and Mrs. Johnston's wash. I tried to do something noble and it
didn't pan out, so if you are a good little pal, and a first rate
sport, you will keep mam as a clam, won't you, please, Madie?"
"Well, since it did not end in a tragedy I suppose I may keep
quiet without breaking honor, but you know, Gracie, I am six
months older than you, and I would be held accountable at a
trial."
"Don't you fret," and Grace was now shaking her curly head and
throwing her blazing cheeks up to the clearance light, with,
renewed defiance. "I certainly had a lovely time while it lasted."
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