she said encouragingly, holding out her hand.

The dog, however, did not make the least response to her friendly
advances. It came a little nearer, growling again, and showing its
teeth in an ugly fashion.

"Come here, silly fellow! Does it think I want to steal something?" said
Lindsay.

"I expect it does," replied Cicely, in rather a shaky voice. "Don't try
to touch it! It'll certainly bite you."

Even Lindsay, fond of animals as she was, could not deny that the
gleaming eyes and snarling mouth looked the reverse of friendly.

"Perhaps we'd better be going," she said, turning towards the door.

Directly she moved, the dog growled louder, and would have flown at her
if she had not instantly stopped.

"What are we to do?" she exclaimed, looking at Cicely with a terrified
face.

They were indeed in a most awkward and dangerous position. The dog,
deeming itself guardian of the granary, and doubtless considering the
two girls intruders for dishonest purposes, would let neither of them
beat a retreat. It stood looking vigilantly from one to the other,
snarling so fiercely if they stirred even an inch that they did not dare
to put its intentions to the test. Oh! why had they come? If they had
only gone back down the ladder before they had roused the dog, or if
Lindsay had not been inquisitive enough to peep inside the handkerchief,
they might have been across the yard and following Miss Frazer to the
wood. How were they ever to escape? Would they be obliged to remain
there until the dog's master returned?

"Perhaps Miss Frazer'll come to hunt for us," quavered Cicely, in a very
small voice, and with a timid eye on the collie lest it should spring.
Evidently it did not object to conversation, so long as they kept still,
for though it looked at her it did not growl. That was one comfort, at
any rate. The situation was terrible enough, but to endure it in silence
would have been ten times worse.

"I don't believe anybody knows where we are," said Lindsay. "I wonder if
the dairymaid noticed us go into the barn. They wouldn't dream of our
climbing the ladder. They'd look all round the stackyard, and perhaps
think we'd taken a short cut and gone home."

Would nobody ever arrive to release them? The minutes seemed long as
hours, and they felt as if their trembling knees could scarcely support
them. Cicely, from the place where she was standing, could fortunately
look through the window and command a view of the field