p seemed already to have drawn him and Sherwood
together: a bond which was destined to be strengthened not only
by the adventure of this night but also by many future adventures
which they would share.

"There's a light yonder!" exclaimed Jack, suddenly, waving his
lantern as he spoke. "Somebody has seen us 'way off, and is coming
to meet us."

He guessed right. As they approached the farmhouse they discerned
in the darkness a figure coming toward them with a stable lantern.
The figure swung this light to and fro, up and down, in wig-wag
signaling, and Tom replied by whistling shrilly two short blasts,
which meant "All right, we're coming." Then the figure hailed
them with a whoop of joy, and ran forward.

It was Arthur Cameron. Leaving Mrs. Kenyon in Doctor Kane's charge,
he had slipped out of the house by the kitchen door so that his
impatience and anxiety might not be observed, and, obtaining the
stable lantern, he had gone forth to see if the search party was
not yet returning.

When Ralph entered the house, leaning on Sherwood and Arthur, his
mother burst into tears of thankfulness for his return and of
pride in what he had achieved. She was distressed on learning
about his sprained ankle, and, following Doctor Kane's directions,
she lost no time in the preparation of hot and cold applications
and bandages. Ralph was sent to bed as soon as he had modestly
related his adventures, and had drunk a hot milk-punch (which
he declared was "nasty") in order to offset any chill which he
might have contracted by sleeping out in the open.

"As if I weren't used to sleeping practically in the open, every
night of the year!" he complained to Sherwood, as he slid down
between the sheets, which his mother had carefully warmed.

"Do as you're told, and don't grumble, old top!" laughingly replied
Tom. "Hope your wounds and sprains and bruises and so forth will
be much better tomor-----I mean, later in the day. It's 2 A.M. now.
Good night!"

"Good night! I'll see you later."

It was arranged that Doctor Kane, Tom, and the boys should spend the
remainder of the night there; Mrs. Kenyon would not hear of any one
of them going over to Tom's house at that hour. So the doctor
retired to the spare bedroom, Sherwood and Arthur occupied a broad
couch or divan in the little parlor, where Tom Walsh and his
young cousin slept even more comfortably on an extra mattress
on the floor. Everyone was in good spirits, although