h you to trespass on my property! Burning my wood
and spoiling my grass! Boys or girls, you're one as bad as another, and
I'll spare none of you! Come on, Johnson, we'll give them a lesson!"

Whether he would actually have done so, or whether he only meant to
frighten us, I cannot tell; but he did not get the opportunity, for,
dropping the kettle, Dick seized my hand, and dragged me down the hill
at such a breakneck speed that I could scarcely keep on my feet, while
George and Cathy raced behind as if they were possessed of seven-leagued
boots. With the old captain's angry shouts ringing in our ears, we
scrambled somehow over the fence at the bottom of the wood, and never
stopped running till we were quite a long way up the high-road, and
within a safe distance of Marshlands again.

[Illustration: "DICK SEIZED MY HAND AND DRAGGED ME DOWN THE HILL"]

"Of course we weren't in the very least in a funk for ourselves,"
explained Dick afterwards. "If it had only been the Babe and myself,
we'd have stayed and tackled them both, and enjoyed the fun, but I
thought the old madman was going for you girls, and the best thing to do
was to clear out of his way as quick as we could. Is he gorging on our
tea and cakes, I wonder? It would be like his cheek. Perhaps he'll annex
the tea-cups, too, while he's about it."

But the captain was honest as regarded our property. That same evening
the old gardener arrived at the back-door, and with an imperturbable
countenance handed our baskets to the astonished cook, stalking away
without uttering a word, in spite of the many questions she hurled at
his head.

After this the boys declared it was war to the knife. They had not
intended to do any harm in the wood, and therefore, they argued, the
captain's action was quite unjustifiable; and as he had shown intentions
of not confining the use of his riding-whip to his own sex, he had
forfeited all claim to be treated as a gentleman, and his conduct must
be repaid with interest.

This time they did not take Cathy and me into their confidence
beforehand, though from various dark hints we imagined they must have
some scheme of revenge brewing in their minds.

They came home one evening brimming over with satisfaction.

"Done him at last!" chuckled Dick. "It was the Babe's idea, too, not
mine, so I won't take the credit of it. You know the old duffer has a
gorgeous pear-tree at the end of his garden; well, we just stood in the
lane outside wi