through the narrow portal, though she
squealed in the process, and clung tightly to Magsie's hand. Diana and
Wendy were among the last to effect the investigation. By that time the
piece of candle was guttering out, and Miss Todd, tired of acting
show-woman, returned to the open air, and gave marching orders.

Diana and Wendy, rather fascinated with the "Goblin Hole", as they
called it, lingered, poking their noses inside the entrance.

"I didn't go in," said a voice behind them. Turning, they saw Sadie's
face, interested, and half-regretful.

"Then you've lost your luck," said Diana decisively. "If you go in and
turn round three times inside, you can have a wish, and it's bound to
come true. You'd better do it. You've just time."

"In the dark?" hesitated Sadie.

"Quick! Go on!" urged her companions, standing back to make way for her.
"Here are the matches."

Sadie struck a match, and cautiously ventured forward. The moment she
was well inside Diana motioned to Wendy, and, catching up a piece of
wood that lay on the ground, tilted it like a door across the entrance,
and piled some stones against it. Then the pair fled. They heard an
agonized shriek behind them, but they turned deaf ears to it.

They were half-way down the heathery hill-side when a very ruffled and
indignant Sadie overtook them.

"Hallo! I thought you'd gone to live with the goblins," exclaimed Diana
cheerfully.

"You're a pair of BEASTS!" exploded Sadie.

"Don't mench! What kind of beasts, please? Young gazelles or kittens?"

"Pigs would be more like it!" snapped Sadie. "To think of shutting me up
alone in that bogey-hole! I might have lost my reason."

"Didn't fancy you'd go stark staring mad as fast as all that," chuckled
Diana. "It didn't take you very long to push that door down."

"If we see any symptoms of insanity cropping out in you, we'll know the
reason," added Wendy smartly.

"And you see it's been very good for you to know what it feels like to
be left behind," rubbed in Diana. "You never told us about that gipsy
trail dodge. Tit for tat's my motto."

"I think you're the two horridest girls in the school! I sha'n't speak
to you again. You may consider yourselves funny, but no one else does,"
said Sadie witheringly, as she flounced away to hang on to Geraldine's
arm, and pour her woes into the head girl's not too willing ear.

It was a good hour's walk from the cromlechs to Birk Water, the lake
where they intended to pick