ely on reaching the summit he turned and came racing
down again.

"What a reckless beggar he is;" said Valentine. "He'll break his neck
some day. Well, what is it?"

Jack took a flying jump from the path on to the shingle.

"The rick!" he cried--"the one we were sitting under--it's all in a
blaze!"

The boys and girls stood staring at one another with a horrified look
on their faces.

"You must have done it with your matches, Raymond," said Helen.

"I didn't," returned the other. "It's the sun. Come on into the boat."

"You must have dropped your cigarette end," said Valentine. "We ought
to find the owner of the hay and say who we are."

"You fool! I tell you it wasn't me," returned the other passionately.
"Ricks often catch fire of their own accord. I'm not going to be made
pay for what isn't my fault."

Valentine hesitated, and shook his head. Jack seemed ready to side
with him; but Raymond jumped into the boat and seized the oars. "Look
here!" he cried, "it's my boat, and I'm going. It you don't choose to
come, you can stay."

The two boys had no alternative but to obey their cousin's demand.
Jack took the second oar, while Valentine steered. Raymond was ready
enough now for hard work, and pulled away with all his might, evidently
wishing to escape as fast as possible from the neighbourhood of the
burning rick.

"What are you pulling so fast for?" asked Jack; but "stroke" made no
reply, and seemed, if anything, to increase the pace.

"Look out!" cried Valentine, as the boat approached an awkward corner,
one side of which was blocked by the branches of a big tree which had
fallen into the water. "Steady on, Raymond!" "Stroke," who did not
see what was coming, and thought this was only another attempt to
induce him to lessen the speed at which they were going, pulled harder
than ever. Valentine tugged his right-hand line crying, "Steady on, I
tell you!" but it was too late. There was a tremendous lurch which
nearly sent every one into the river, the water poured over the
gunwale, and something went with a sounding crack. Raymond's oar had
caught in a sunken branch and snapped off short. His face turned white
with anger.

"You cad!" he cried with an oath, "you made me do that on purpose."

"I didn't!" answered Valentine hotly; "and I should think you might
know better than to begin swearing before the girls."

Helen looked frightened, but Barbara was sinking with laughter at the
sigh