er to go to the gymnasium and
take a party with her. Then they went about softly from door to door
through the corridors, not spreading any alarm, merely saying that Miss
Russell thought they would all better go out, as the afternoon was so
fine, and that they were to go quietly, as Lobelia might be asleep.
Before long, without noise or confusion, the whole school was out,
either in the gymnasium or on the road. The walkers divided into three
parties, Peggy leading the freshmen, Gertrude the juniors, while Bertha
marshalled the sophomores, who came like lambs, half proud, half shy, at
being under the leadership of the renowned Fluffy. The seniors, of
course, could be trusted to take care of themselves. They were a small
class, and somehow--as happens in every school with one class and
another--had never made themselves a power; they had gone now with the
rest to the gymnasium.

Peggy, as she walked at the head of her troop, tried to feel her cousin
Margaret's hand in hers. Always humble, and distrustful of her own
powers, she tried hard to think what Margaret would do in her place. She
would tell stories, probably, wonderful stories of heroes and great
deeds. Ah! but Peggy did not know the stories in the books; they never
stayed by her. Well, then, she must tell what she did know! She found
herself talking about her home life, the home on the great Western
ranch; of her father and brothers, and the many feats in their strong,
active life. Here, if she had only known it, were stories better than
any in Margaret's books. How Brother Jim hunted the white wolf for three
days in the mountains; how Hugh set the trap for the young grizzly, and
more wonderful, how he tamed him and made him his friend and servant;
how Father Montfort saved the three men who were snowed up in Desolation
Gulch, and brought them out one by one on his shoulders, just as their
last biscuit was gone and they had sat down to die,--on and on went the
tale, for it was a story without an end. On and on went the girls, too,
unconscious of their going, forgetting to think they were tired,
forgetting everything save the joy of listening. The shadows were
lengthening fast when Peggy, still relating, turned her face homeward,
wondering with thankfulness, as she noted the position of the sun, how
she had been able to take them so far without once hearing a groan or a
sigh of weariness. She looked around, and saw only sparkling eyes and
rosy cheeks. "A month ago