was not unattended with
risks.

Towards one o'clock the crew at the back began to clamor for lunch, and
to suggest a halt when some suitable spot should be reached. The
difficulty was to find a place, for they were driving so fast that by
the time the younger boys had called out the possibilities of some wood
or small quarry, the car had flown past, and, sooner than turn back,
Everard would say: "Oh, we'll stop somewhere else!"

By unanimous urging, however, he was at last persuaded to halt at a
picturesque little bridge in a sheltered hollow, where they had the
benefit of the sunshine and escaped the wind. A small brook wandered
below between green banks where autumn brambles still showed brown
leaves, and actually a shriveled blackberry or two remained. There was a
patch of grass by the roadside, and here Everard put the car, to be out
of reach of passing traffic, while its occupants spread the rugs on the
low wall of the bridge, and began to unpack their picnic baskets. Cook
had certainly done her best for them: there were ham sandwiches and
pieces of cold pie, and jam turnovers, and slices of cake, and some
apples and oranges, and plenty of hot coffee in the thermos flasks.

"It's ever so much nicer to have one's meals out-of-doors, even in
January!" declared Bevis, munching a damson tartlet, and dropping stones
into the brook below. "I believe it's warm enough to wade. That water
doesn't look cold, somehow!"

"No, you don't!" said Lilias briskly. "You needn't think, just because
Miss Mason isn't here, you can do all the mad things you like. It's no
use beginning to unlace your boots, for I shan't let you wade, or
Clifford either! The idea! In January!"

"Why not?" sulked Bevis. "I didn't ask _you_, Lilias. Everard won't say
no!"

"You can please yourselves," answered his eldest brother, "but _I'm_
going to take the car on now. If you stay and wade, you'll have to walk
home, that's all! I certainly shan't came back for you."

At so awful a threat the youngsters, who had really meant business where
the water was concerned, hurriedly relaced their boots, and ran to take
their places in the car; the girls finished packing the remains of the
picnic in the basket, and followed, and soon the engine was started
again, and they were once more flying along the road.

Everard had brought out the family for a joy-ride without any very
particular idea of where they were going, though he was steering
generally in the