Jake couldn't escape now. He was trapped
at last, and for once Bessie saw that he was going to reap the reward of
his evil doing.

The game-keeper lifted a whistle to his lips, and blew a loud, long
blast upon it. In a moment the wood filled with the noise of men
approaching, and, to Bessie's delight, she saw General Seeley among
them.

"What? At it again?" he said, angrily, as he saw Bessie. Jake was hidden
by the game-keeper, and General Seeley thought at first that it was
Bessie who had fallen to the trap he had set. Bessie said nothing--she
couldn't.

"No, General. It wasn't the girl, after all," said the game-keeper.
"Never did seem to me as if it could be, anyhow. Here's the lad that did
it all--and I caught him in the act. The feathers are all over him
still."

"It wasn't me! She did it! I saw her, and I took the feathers from her,"
wailed Jake, anxious, as ever, to escape himself, no matter how many
lies he had to tell, or who had to suffer for his sins. But the
game-keeper only laughed roughly.

"That won't do you no good, my boy. You'd better own up and take your
medicine. Here, see this, General."

He plunged his hands into Jake's pockets, and produced the wire and
other materials Jake had used in making his snare.

"I guess that's pretty good evidence, ain't it, sir?"

"It is, indeed," said the general, grimly. "Take him up to the house,
Tyler. I'll attend to his case later. Go on, now. I want to talk to this
girl."

Then he turned to Bessie and took off his hat.

"I was wrong and you were right this morning," he said, pleasantly. "I
want to apologize to you, Bessie. And I shall try to make up to you for
having treated you so badly. How can I do that?"

"Oh, there's nothing to make up, General," said Bessie, tearfully. "I'm
so glad you know I didn't do that!"

"But what are you doing here--and in that dress?"

"I--I was going away--so that the others could stay."

"I see--so that they wouldn't have to suffer because I was so brutally
unkind to you. Well, you come with me! Why didn't you wear the other
clothes, though? They're nicer than these."

"They're not mine. These are all I have, of my own."

"Is that so? Well, you shall have the best wardrobe money can buy,
Bessie, just as soon as Mrs. Chester can get it for you. I'll make that
my present to you--as a way of making up, partly, for the way I behaved
to you. How will you like that?"

"That's awfully good of you, but you mustn't--r