er way through the bushes, radiant and glowing with
health.

"For mercy's sake, Phil Alden, what have you there?" she demanded,
taking Phil's rifle and the dead rabbit, but looking askance at her
live offering.

"I am ashamed of myself," apologized Phil, "but I found this beautiful
little thing starving to death, in the woods. Do you think Miss Jenny
Ann will mind if I take care of it and feed it until it is old enough
to look after itself?"

"Of course not, Phil. But what do you expect to feed your adopted deer
on? It seems to me that a little fawn like that must prefer milk as an
article of diet, and we have found no cows on the island--up to the
present." Madge patted the top of the fawn's soft head while she teased
her chum.

Phil was thrown into consternation. "Gracious, Madge, you are right!"
she agreed. "I never thought of it. But you know we are still having
oatmeal for our breakfast. I'll ask Miss Jenny Ann to let me give my
share to the fawn. Before the porridge gives out I expect we shall be
rescued, or my baby will be grown-up enough to take care of itself."

Phil pronounced the word "rescued" in such fashion that Madge stopped
in her forward march to question her.

"Out with it, Phil! You have something on your mind," she declared.
"You might as well tell me."

After Phil had finished her story of seeing the men the two girls
agreed not to mention Phil's encounter in the woods to Miss Jenny Ann
or to the other two girls until they had had more time to think things
over.

"I love our woods and sometimes I think I would like to live here
always, Phil," returned Madge, "but it is our duty to get away when we
can. It may be best for you and me to search over this whole island
until we find those two men again."

The door of one of the hunting lodges stood wide open. Phil put down
her fawn on a mound of soft grass and flashed cheerfully in. "Here I am
at last, hungry as a bear!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad to be at home
again."

Eleanor and Miss Jenny Ann were bending over the fireplace, stirring
something savory in a big iron pot.

Lillian was putting the finishing touches to the small kitchen table,
which had been transferred from the houseboat to the center of one of
the cabin rooms. In the middle she had placed a great bunch of scarlet
berries and wild sumach leaves. At one end was a dish of roasted
chestnuts, cracked hickory nuts and walnuts. On the other, piled on a
plate of leaves, were a