saw that valley and village often enough afterwards;
but never again did it wear to them precisely the same look it put on
that morning, in the growing light of that noble September day. As for
Joe and Fuz, it was all an old story to them; and, what was more, they
had another first-rate joke on hand.

"There's the academy," said Joe: "that big white concern in the middle
of the green, and with so short a steeple."

"Steeple enough," said Ford. "Are the rest churches?"

"Yes; and, if you don't go to church reg'lar, Old By'll be sure to hear
of it."

"Old By" was the irreverent nickname they had selected for Dr. Abiram
Brandegee; and Fuz added,--

"Never mind him, boys. He's a raspy old fellow; but he's such a little,
old, withered wisp of a chap, you'll soon get used to him."

Dab was bewildered enough, just then, to wonder how such a weak-minded,
malicious old dwarf as had been painted to him, could have managed to
get and keep so high a position in so remarkably beautiful a place as
Grantley. He said something about the village being so pretty; but Dick
Lee had been staring eagerly in all directions, and replied with,--

"Jes' one little mite of a patch ob water! Is dar any fish to ketch?"

"Fish? In that pond?" said Fuz. "Why, it's alive with 'em. The people of
Grantley just live on fish."

"Guess I knows 'bout how many dey is now," said Dick soberly; and he was
not far from right, for there were no fish to speak of in that
willow-bordered mill-pond.

"Mrs. Myers will hardly be up so early as this," said Dab. "We can get
our trunks over by and by. Let's have a look at the village. Joe, it's
your turn to steer now. You and Fuz know how the land lies."

They were ready enough to tell all they knew, and a good deal more; but
the listeners they had that morning were not without eyes of their own,
and it was not a very fatiguing task to walk all over the village of
Grantley.

The first house to be studied with special care was the neat white
residence of Dr. Brandegee, with its shady trees and its garden; for Joe
said,--

"That's where you fellows'll have to come right after breakfast, to be
examined. Oh, but won't Old By put you through!"

Dick Lee's mouth came open as he stared at the knob on the doctor's
front door, and Dabney caught himself doubting if he knew the
multiplication-table. Even Ford Foster wondered if there was really any
thing he could teach Dr. Brandegee, and remarked to Frank Harley,--