ss Watts put out her light
at nine. The kid got away somehow."

"Watts had no business going to bed. Where were the other servants?"

"They were on duty and saw nothing."

"On duty, in the kitchen, having skylarks!"

"No matter. The thing is what to do now?"

"Go to bed. She'll turn up."

"Don't be a fool! I'll take a car and join the searching party. Nobody
knows what those kids are up to."

"All right; go ahead. But this time, Wally Bryce, I punish her."

He hurried out, and got into a fast car, with Matthews and Henry, the
chauffeur, in the back seat. He went like the wind to the Hunters'. No
news yet, but they informed him that twelve boys were missing.

"My Isabelle is with them," said Wally.

The Hunters' butler look startled.

"My word, sir, she _is_ a limb!" he exclaimed.

On the road Wally met Billy Horton in his car.

"They must be around here somewhere. They couldn't get far. If I don't
fix that young man of mine!" he threatened.

"My kid is with them," Wally groaned.

"You don't say!" ejaculated Horton.

Just then a streak of light, as from a fire, flared up in the woods, to
the left, and died out.

"Did you see that?" demanded Wally.

"Yes, looked like----"

"Beg pardon, sir, fire in the woods, that was."

"They've set the woods on fire," shouted Wally, and started off full
speed. Horton followed.

"Keep your eye on the place, you fellows. About here, wasn't it?"

He stopped the car, and they jumped out. Henry carried a bunghole light
and they penetrated the woods, single file, shouting as they went. No
answer came, but they kept on. Before they had gone very far, a pony
whinnied.

"Hear that? We're coming to something."

They heard motors on the road behind, and shouts in answer to their
shouts. Other fathers rushed in presently and joined them. Henry stopped
and halted the entire line.

"Well, I'll be blowed," he said.

He swept the cleared place with his light, and they all crowded
up behind him. A bed of ashes smouldered, and around it, in deep
oblivion of well-earned sleep, lay thirteen blanketed braves, a
trusty weapon--tomahawk or sword--at hand beside each sleeper.

The fathers descended upon them, and with difficulty aroused them to the
capture. They were led, carried, or dragged to motors, and carted home.
Isabelle borne between Henry and Matthews scarcely woke at all. In fact,
when she woke in the morning to Miss Watts's grieved expression, all
memory of the tr