expecting to see and recognize the bird.

"Oh, what was that?" exclaimed one of the little girls, jumping up in
affright, as the squeak of a mouse seemed to come from among the folds
of her dress.

"Nothing dangerous, my dear," said Mr. Dinsmore, drawing her into the
shelter of his arms. "It was no mouse; only a little noise."

"Oh, yes, uncle, I might have known that," she said with a rather
hysterical little laugh.

Just then the tramp, tramp was heard again apparently near at hand, at
one side of the house, where the troops might be concealed by the
trees and shrubs; the music of the drum and fife following the next
moment.

"Oh," cried Ned, "won't they catch that fellow who just ran round to
the kitchen as I told him to?"

"If they do I hope they won't hurt him," laughed Lucilla.

The music seemed to arouse the anger of several dogs belonging on the
place and at that moment they set up a furious barking. The music
continued and seemed to come nearer and nearer, the dogs barked more
and more furiously; but presently the drum and fife became silent, the
dogs ceased barking and all was quiet. But not for long; the voice
that had asked for a hiding-place spoke again close at hand.

"Here I am, safe and sound, thanks to the little chap who told me
where to hide. The fellows didn't find me and I'm off. But if they
come here looking for me, please don't tell which way I've gone.
Good-by."

"Wait a minute and tell us who you are before you go," called out Eric
Leland, and from the tree came the owl's "Who, who, who?"

"Who I am?" returned the manlike voice, seeming to speak from a
greater distance, "Well, sir, that's for me to know and you to find
out."

"Now please tell us which of you it was--Cousin Ronald and Max," said
Ned, looking from one to the other.

"That's for us to know and you to find out, little brother," laughed
Max.

"Papa," said Ned, turning to their father, "I wish you'd order Max to
tell."

"Max is of age now and not at present under my orders," replied
Captain Raymond, with a humorous look and smile, and just then came
the call to the tea table.

Ned was unusually quiet during the meal, gazing scrutinizingly every
now and then at his father or Max. When they had returned to the
veranda he watched his opportunity and seized upon a moment when he
could speak to his brother without being overheard by anyone else.

"Brother Max," he queried, "won't you ever have to obey papa any
more?