t of Jack, who, on the seat behind, was silently going through the
motions of punching Master Fosberton's head.

"Well, we can't go on any further," said the latter. "We must get the
boat into that backwater and tie her up. Though it'll be a beastly fag
having to walk to Grenford."

Dividing between them the things which had to be carried, the cousins
made their way through a piece of waste ground studded with
gorse-bushes, and gained the road, which ran close to the river.
Barbara lingered behind to pick Quaker grass, but a few moments later
she came racing after them and caught hold of Jack's arm.

"Hallo!" he said, "what's up? you look scared."

"So I am," she answered. "I saw a man's face looking at me. He was
hiding behind the bushes."

"Fiddles!" answered Jack. "It was only imagination. Come along with
me. I'll carry those plates."

Raymond Fosberton seemed bent on making himself as disagreeable as
possible. He was still in a great rage about the broken oar, and
lagged behind, refusing to speak to the rest of the party.

"We ought not to let him walk by himself," said Helen, after they had
gone about a mile; "it looks as if we wanted to quarrel."

She stopped and turned round, but Raymond was nowhere in sight. They
waited, but still he did not appear.

"He can't be far behind," said Valentine. "I heard him kicking stones
a moment or so ago."

Jack walked back to the last bend in the road and shouted, but there
was no reply.

"It's a rum thing," he said, as he rejoined his companions. "I wonder
what has become of the beggar. I thought just then I heard him
talking."

The boys shouted again, and Barbara drew a little closer to Jack.
Whether the watching face was imagination or not, she had evidently
been frightened.

"Surly brute! he has gone home by a short cut," said Jack. "Come
along! it's no use waiting."

They had not gone very far when they heard somebody running, and
turning again saw their missing cousin racing round the corner. His
face was pale and agitated, and it was evident that something was the
matter.

"Hallo! where have you been?"

"Nowhere. I only stopped to tie my shoe-lace."

"But you must have heard us calling?"

"I never heard a sound," answered Raymond abruptly, and so the matter
ended.

The four Fenleighs were not at all sorry to find themselves free of
their cousin's society, and bowling along behind Prince in the little
basket-carriage. It was stil