nd faces and rending their dresses in
the struggle, their one object being to escape from the horror behind
them. With torn blouses and fingers full of thorns they issued from the
opposite side, and rolled down a bank before they were able to stop
themselves.

Honor sprang up promptly, and looked anxiously back. Fortunately, the
bushes were far too thick and high for the bull to leap over.

"We're quite safe now!" she exclaimed, with a gasp of intense relief.

Lettice, sitting on the bank, indulged in a private little cry. She was
very agitated and upset, and was trembling violently.

"I thought we were going to be gored to death," she quavered. "Oh! has
it gone away? It's dreadful to feel it's still so near us!"

"We'd better get on as fast as we can, and put another field between it
and us," said Honor, pulling her companion to her feet. "There are some
hurdles over in that corner that we can climb, and then we shall be
absolutely out of danger."

Honor's short cut proved a very long one before the two girls once more
found themselves on the high road. There was not a sign of the rest of
the party to be seen, so they began to walk home as briskly as their
shaken nerves would allow. They had not gone far, however, before they
met Miss Maitland, who, with Janie Henderson and Maisie Talbot, had
come back to look for them.

"You naughty girls! Where have you been?" the house-mistress exclaimed,
in righteous wrath, as the dilapidated pair made a conscience-stricken
approach.

There was nothing for it but a full confession, and a very disagreeable
ten minutes followed for both. Miss Maitland knew how to maintain
discipline, and would not overlook such a flagrant breach of orders.

"I had distinctly forbidden you to go," she said. "I am extremely
disappointed, for I thought I could have depended on your sense of
honour to behave as well behind my back as if you had been walking in
front. You may be most thankful to have escaped from a danger into
which your own disobedience led you. I am sorry that our pleasant
ramble should have ended so unfortunately; it will be very difficult
for me to rely on either of you again."

CHAPTER XII

St. Kolgan's Abbey

"After what happened on Latchfield Moors," remarked Vivian Holmes, one
afternoon about a week later, "I think it is extremely good of Miss
Maitland to allow Honor Fitzgerald and Lettice Talbot to go to the
picnic to-morrow. I shouldn't have been in the le