you," said Diana. "Is it any use tossing for it?"

They ventured to the left, and, after walking over three fields, found
themselves in a narrow lane which terminated in a pond. It was such an
evident cul-de-sac that there was nothing for it but to turn back. When
they again reached the stiles they found Geraldine sitting upon the
right-hand one. Her expression was thundery, and her greeting the
reverse of cordial.

"Where _have_ you been, you two stupids? Why can't you keep up with the
rest of us instead of side-tracking like this? Here you're keeping the
whole party waiting, and I've had to turn back to hunt you up."

"Sorry to be on the earth!" apologized Wendy; "but we missed our way."

"Then it's your own fault, for we left the gipsy trail for you as plain
as plain could be. Some people have no eyes!"

"What gipsy trail?"

Geraldine pointed laconically to the grass.

There, just by the right-hand stile, lay two crossed sticks. They were
placed in a most obvious position. It was a marvel how they had escaped
notice.

"You may well stare!" commented Geraldine with sarcasm.

"I believe I did see them," said Diana, "but I didn't know what they
meant."

"Didn't know! Why, Sadie told you! I sent her on purpose. Miss Todd said
we were to leave the gipsy trail at every doubtful place."

"Sadie never told us. She never said a single word."

"You probably didn't listen. Well, I can't argue it out now, the others
are waiting, and Miss Todd's furious. Come along as fast as you can."

Diana and Wendy considered that the summary scolding which they received
from Miss Todd, who was in too big a hurry to listen to any excuses, was
entirely Sadie's fault, and a point to be settled up with her later. At
present she scuttled on ahead, conveniently out of their way.

"Just let her wait!" vowed Wendy darkly.

It was necessary to step along briskly if they meant to accomplish the
walk which Miss Todd had in her mind's eye, and anybody who has ever
acted leader to a party of twenty-four knows the difficulty of making
everyone keep the pace.

"I believe Toddlekins would like to rope us all together as if we were
Swiss mountaineers," giggled Magsie, "or a gang of prisoners clanking
chains. It's rather weak if one can't even stop to pick a flower."

They had passed through the wood by now, and were on the open fells. The
view was gorgeous. The October sun flooded the landscape and showed up
the wealth of autumn colour: t