. Thus he examined every foot of the place; but
without results. He was puzzled; but he would not give up. Methodically,
and to the vast disgust of the others, he began over again at the corner
from which he had started. No results.

"No fair outside the grounds!" he shouted. To this of course, no answer
came.

"Give it up!" urged the others.

"I won't!" insisted Bobby doggedly.

He did not know where to search next, so he looked up. The hotel was
provided with a broad shady flat-roofed verandah. At the edge of this
roof, projecting the least bit above, Bobby glimpsed a fold of blue. The
pair were evidently lying at full length in the spacious water gutter.
The blue could be nothing but the gingham of Celia's dress. Nevertheless
Bobby walked to goal and calmly announced.

"One, two, three for Gerald--on the verandah roof!" And then, after a
deliberate pause, "All sorts in free!"

Gerald blinded. Bobby, with determination, took Celia's hand, and
breathlessly the pair sped away. The little boy's first move was to
place the hotel building between himself and Gerald.

"Can you climb a fence?" he asked hurriedly.

"If it isn't too high."

"Come on then, I know a dandy place."

Bobby attacked the board fence behind the hotel. Two packing-boxes of
different heights made the problem of ascent easy. But the other side
was a sheer drop; and Celia was afraid.

"I can't!" she cried. "It's too far!"

"Just drop," advised Bobby desperately. "Hurry up! He'll be around the
corner!"

"I daren't!" cried poor Celia. "You go first."

Promptly Bobby dangled; and dropped.

"See; it's easy. Come on, I'll catch you!"

Finally Celia wiggled over the edge, shut her eyes, and let go. She
landed directly on Bobby, and the two went down in a heap.

"Come on!" whispered Bobby. "Scoot!"

Before them rose a whitewashed barn. Celia's hand in his, Bobby darted
in at the open doorway, and more by instinct than by sight, found a
rickety steep flight of stairs and ascended to the hay-mow.

"There, isn't that great?" he whispered.

They sank back on the soft fragrant hay, and breathed luxuriously after
the haste of the last few moments. A score of mice had scurried away at
their abrupt entrance; and the fairy-like echoes of these animals' tiny
feet seemed to linger in the twilight. Through cracks long pencils of
sunlight lay across the hay and the dim criss-cross of the rafters
above. Dust motes crossed them in lazy eddies, each vi