road, and the wavering light from a couple of lanterns seemed only to
accentuate the gloom. Once away from the school they began to call at
intervals but got no response. Chub and Jack had some difficulty in
finding the place where they had returned to the road from the uplands,
but at last they discovered it and the party took off up the hill. It
was soon after that that Mr. Buckman stopped and asked:

"How many are there in this party, anyhow?"

"Should be seven of us," answered Mr. Cobb. "Why?"

"Because, unless I'm much mistaken, I counted eight a minute ago. Who's
that over there, the last one?"

"Warren, sir."

"No, I don't mean you. Who's next to you?"

There was a moment's silence. Then,

"Blest if I know, sir," answered Warren in puzzled tones.

"It's me," said an apologetic voice.

"Who's me?" asked Mr. Cobb moving toward the speaker.

"Harry," was the answer.

"Harry! Harry Emery?" exclaimed Mr. Cobb, forgetting his politeness.

"Yes, I--I thought I'd come along."

"Well, if that isn't the greatest! Did the Doctor say you could come?"

"I--I didn't ask him," answered Harry. "Please don't send me back, Mr.
Cobb. I won't be in the way a bit and I can walk miles!"

"Send you back! Why, I can't send you back now--that is--not alone. I
suppose you'll have to come, but supposing your mother finds you're
missing?"

"Oh, she won't," answered Harry cheerfully. "She thinks I'm in bed and
asleep. And I was--that is, I was in bed."

"Well, come along then, but see that you stick close to us," grumbled
Mr. Cobb. "We don't want to loose any more persons to-night!"

So Harry trudged along at the tail of the party, keeping close to Jack
Rogers and Chub and starting nervously when she heard strange noises in
the bushes along the way.

It was slow going and when they were well up on the hills the night wind
stung hands and faces. It was well upon midnight when Chub announced
that they should have reached the place where he had left Roy. But a
locality looks very different at night by the light of a wavering
lantern than it does in the daytime, and when they had cast about for a
while, calling and shouting, Chub was forced to acknowledge that he
wasn't certain of the place.

"It ought to be about here," he said anxiously, "but somehow this
doesn't look like it. It doesn't seem to me it was quite so hilly; and
there weren't any trees about that I remember."

After a quarter of an hour more of unsucces