tities of bread and butter, with jam,
and lemonade, which infuriated the cook, who had to supply the demand.
They parted, later, with fervent farewells, _sotto-voce_ remarks, and
mysterious signs.

At home, Isabelle got ready for her supper without being told, and sat
quietly with a book until she was called. A close observer might have
noted that she never turned a leaf, that when a motor chugged off
bearing her parents, she was seen to smile and sigh.

After supper, she complained of utter weariness and went to bed. Miss
Watts looked in at half past eight; Isabelle was breathing evenly. A
few moments later, she heard the governess close the door between their
two rooms. Immediately she got up, dropped her night gown, worn over her
riding clothes, and slipped out. A moment later she was in the stable,
getting a saddle on her horse, tying her blanket to the horn. She
managed her exit without interference, because Saturday night there were
"doin's" among the servants.

Once on the road, she let the pony run. She had never been out alone at
night before. It was scary, she admitted to herself. Once an automobile,
on the way to the club with somebody's parents, caused her to dash off
the road into the underbrush. Finally she reached the meeting place, and
found two scared boys ahead of her. Shortly, the others arrived. There
were no signs of hilarity over this adventure, they were all solemn and
glum. Some of them were in Indian garb, with tomahawks; others in
boy-scout hats, as pilgrims.

When they were all gathered they moved in a body to the camp. It was
darker than pitch in the woods, so they had to lead the ponies, and they
stumbled over tree trunks, and logs. Unseen things scuttled away
underfoot, and terror began to spread like measles.

"Get the fire lighted, then we can see all right," said Isabelle the
dauntless.

They managed that finally and peered about them, as the weird shadows
danced and made fantastic shapes.

"Let's get the grub and eat," said Herbert.

"Not yet, not till we do the play," objected Isabelle. "Somebody bind up
John Smith and the rest sit round the place where we're going to
execution him. The Indians can lurk----"

"Say, I ain't goin' to lurk in the dark, out there," protested a brave,
peering into the blackness.

"_I_ am!" said Isabelle, marching upon unseen terrors among the trees.

"If you're going to let a _girl_ dare you!" cried Herbert, secretly glad
that his role require