ed Dorothy. "I may as well
give in."

"May better. Hurry along, now. We're to have a buffet lunch, and get gone
directly after. It's time to eat now," and he glanced at his watch.

Certainly the morning had passed--and the afternoon would no doubt be
equally short. Dorothy hurried to get her warm wraps, called to Tavia, and
was at the lunch-table before Nat had returned from the garage, whence he
brought the Fire Bird.

"If you do not get caught in a snowstorm this time," commented Major Dale,
"I will begin to lose faith in my prophetic bones. They ache for heavy
snow."

"Put it off until to-morrow, Uncle Frank," advised Nat. "Then we may get
the runners out."

"No, it's not that long off," insisted the major, cringing perceptibly
under the aches and pains for the coming storm. "I shouldn't wonder but it
reached us by sundown."

Ned was much better, able to sit near the window and wave to the departing
ones.

Tavia looked almost happy. Somehow, since she determined to "stick to
Dorothy," much of her apparent trouble seemed to have disappeared. She was
brighter than she had been for days, and even Nat threw off the restraint
he had shown toward her lately. At The Elms they picked up Tom, with
Roland's regrets, and with a dangerous-looking hatchet in hand--to bag
the game with.

"Roland had another dinner date," he explained. "I'm glad I'm not
handsome."

"But the ax?" asked Nat

"For the little tree, you know," replied Tom. "I've tried to catch
Christmas trees before."

"Well, we are pretty well loaded up," added Nat, producing from his pocket
a revolver.

"Oh!" screamed Tavia; "for goodness' sake is this a murderous plot?
I--want--my--mamma--"

"There, there, little girl, don't cry," simpered Tom. "A gun is a fine
thing in a jungle--"

"Where ghosts scream," added Dorothy.

"And buggies ride bugs," put in Nat, shifting the lever for more speed.
"Well, it's up to us to get there first, and then we may shoot up the
whole woods if we like. The girls may--may sit under a shady tree."

The deep gloom of an approaching storm made this proposal sound quite
ridiculous, and Dorothy declared she would prefer sitting in the Fire Bird
at a safe distance from the shooting. Tavia threatened to crawl under the
seat, and even vowed she would leave the car at once if the hatchet and
revolver were not at once put away--"out of her sight!"

"Well, I have made up my brilliant mind," said Nat, "that if that
screamin