and the carpet of dead leaves deadened their footsteps.
Although the sun was still high, the trees were so thick that the light
that came down to them was that of twilight, and Zara shuddered.

"I'd hate to be lost in these woods," she said.

Then, abruptly, they were on another trail. Jack had been a true guide.

"You can't lose your way now," he said. "Keep to the trail and go
straight ahead."

"Good-bye, Jack," said Bessie. "You're just as true and brave as any of
the knights you ever read about, and if you keep on like this you'll be
a great man when you grow up--as great as your father. Good-bye!"

"Good-bye and thank you ever so much," called Zara.

"Come again!" said Jack, and stood there until they were out of sight.

It was not long before they came out near the main road, and now Zara
gave a joyful cry.

"Oh, I'm so glad to be here!" she exclaimed. "Those woods frightened me,
Bessie. They were so dark and gloomy. And it's so good to see the sun
again, and the fields and the blue sky!"

Bessie looked about her curiously as she strove to get her bearings.
Then her face cleared.

"I know where we are now," she said. "We're still quite a little
distance from where we stopped for lunch and Farmer Weeks got hold of
you, Zara. We'll have to go up the road. You see, it brought us quite a
little out of our direct way--going back in the woods as we did. But it
was worth it--to get away from Farmer Weeks."

"I should think it was!" said Zara. "I'd walk on my hands for a mile to
be free from him. He was awful. He drove up just as I got down to the
road, and as soon as I saw him I started to run. But I was so frightened
that my knees shook, and he jumped out and caught me."

"What did he say to you?"

"Oh, everything! He said he could have me put in prison for running
away, and he asked me where you were, but I wouldn't say a thing. I
wouldn't even answer him when he asked me if I'd seen you. And he said
that when I came to work for him, he'd see that I got over my laziness
and my notions."

"Well, you're free of him now, Zara. Oh!"

"What is it, Bessie?"

"Zara, don't you remember what he said? That he'd find us through the
Camp Fire Girls? He knows about them! If we go right back to them now,
we may be walking right into his arms. Oh, how I wish I could get hold
of Miss Eleanor--of Wanaka!"

They stared at one another in consternation.

CHAPTER IX

A CLOSE SHAVE

"I never thought of tha