e find Dorothy still busy trying to
reform Tavia, and while in each of the books there is plenty of other
work for Dorothy to attend to, it seems that Tavia is her one
perpetual charge. What Tavia thinks fun is not always of the safe
sort, and what Dorothy thinks necessary Tavia often thinks may be
passed by as some subtle joke. So it will be seen that each of these
two interesting characters always has her own particular following,
while the friendship between Tavia and Dorothy has withstood every
possible test.

So we find the same young ladies in the present story, still indulging
in their favorite pastime--getting into and out of mischief.

They had been out riding on an improvised chariot--a hayrick of the
old-fashioned kind, like a cradle, filled with the fragrant timothy
and redtop, when the accident, narrated in the first chapter, took
place.

As Tavia and Dorothy ran after the wagon containing their friends,
while the vehicle swayed from side to side in the road, they saw it
give a sudden lurch, and almost topple over on the steep embankment
which descended to the river.

Dorothy gave a gasp of fear, and Tavia covered her eyes with her hand.
The next moment Dorothy saw the driver of the wagon crawling out from
a clump of bushes. Guessing that he was not badly hurt, she ran on,
for she had halted momentarily when she saw the vehicle sway so
dangerously. Together she and Tavia sprang forward, to reach, if
possible, before it toppled over, the swaying, bounding wagon.

Whether from an unconquerable spirit of fun, or from motives purely
humane, Tavia had snatched up armful after armful of the loose hay,
which had been spilled out on the road. In doing this she never halted
in her running, but stooped over, like some gleaner in a field, urged
on by the approach of night.

"Oh!" cried Dorothy. "If we can only reach them before----"

A figure darted out on the road just ahead of them, and the unexpected
move interrupted Dorothy's exclamation.

"Oh, a man!" shouted Tavia, who was somewhat in advance. "Now we--will
be--all right!"

Yes, a man had started down the hill after the runaway, but just how
or why Tavia was sure that this would make things right, was not clear
to Dorothy.

"He can run!" she called, "Can't he, Tavia?"

"Can't he!" replied Tavia. "But I'm not going to let him have all the
glory. Here," and she tossed a bundle of hay to Dorothy. "Take it
along for the--hospital beds. I'm going--to--