s on the ground.

A pleading voice apparently came from the sky: "Please unbar the door
of this old cabin. We are locked inside."

The young man stopped short. He took off his cap and ran his hand
through his thick, light hair. He was too old to believe in fairies or
elves. But he heard the voice again even more distinctly. "Oh, don't
go away! Do open the log cabin door."

The young man looked up. There was a little, white face as wan and
pale as the early daylight, with an aureole of dark red curls around
it, staring at him through the broken window frame of the old log cabin
that he had seen deserted a dozen times in his hunting trips through
these woods.

"If there is some one really calling to me, please wave your hand three
times from that window, so I will know you are not a spook," called the
young man, "otherwise I may be afraid to open the door."

"I can't wave. I shall fall if I let go the window sill," answered
Madge, trying to keep from bursting into tears. "Please don't wait any
longer. We have been locked in all night."

The stranger drew back the heavy wooden bolt. He started when he saw
three white-faced girls staring at him. But the face he had seen at
the window was not among them. Clinging to the old window frame, her
slender feet stuck in the cracks between the logs, was the witch who
had summoned him to their rescue.

"Won't you please come help me down, Phil?" asked a plaintive voice.

"Just let go the window frame and drop," ordered the stranger quietly.
"Don't be afraid. It is the only possible way."

Without hesitating Madge did as directed. "Thank you," she said
coolly, when she got her breath. Then she staggered a little, and
Phyllis and the young man who had come to their rescue caught her.

"We have been locked in so long," explained Phil. "No, we have not the
least idea who could have played such a trick on us. We arrived in
this neighborhood only yesterday afternoon."

Phil gave a short history of the houseboat, introducing her three
friends and herself to him. "We must return to our chaperon at once,"
she added. "The poor woman will be dreadfully worried. Do you girls
feel strong enough to walk? You see"--this time Phil turned to their
rescuer--"it is not only that we have been shut up here for nearly
fourteen hours, we are so hungry! We have had nothing to eat since
yesterday at luncheon."

"Your poor, starving girls!" exclaimed their liberator, repro