chop rocks! Quick!"

"Where are the Paradise drops?" enquired the others eagerly.

"Don't worry, I have them safe. Only wait till Gibbie's back is
turned."

Though they were decidedly tired of lectures, the girls nevertheless
were quite mildly interested in searching for fossils. There was an
element of competition about it which appealed to them, and when
Hermie found a fine specimen of _Cupressocrinus crassus_, the Fifth
felt that they must not be outdone.

"We haven't got anything really decent yet!" sighed Aveline, watching
with envious eyes as Hermie exhibited her treasure to the admiring
visitors. "The Sixth are cackling ever so hard."

"Let's go over there," suggested Raymonde. "No one's explored that bit
of the quarry. We might find all sorts of things."

The Mystic Seven, who generally clung together in their undertakings,
scaled a ladder therefore, climbed a mound of refuse, and found
themselves on new ground. They dispersed, and each searched to the
best of her ability among the pieces of crumbly rock that were lying
about. Aveline, absorbed in splitting strata with her hammer, was
suddenly disturbed by a piercing yell and a shout of "Help!" She ran
at once in the direction of the screams, and round the corner
discovered Raymonde, sunk nearly to her waist in a kind of clay bog.

"Help me!" she implored. "I can't get out. The more I try, the deeper
I seem to sink in."

"Don't struggle, then; wait a minute," said Aveline, advancing on to
some firm-looking stones and stretching out a hand. "Can you manage
now?"

Raymonde made a desperate but futile effort. "No, I'm stuck
tight--can't move my legs."

"Don't pull me, or I'll be in too! Now, I'm going to tug one of your
legs out! That's it! Now the other! Here you are! Good gracious! What
a mess you're in!"

Arrived on firm ground, Raymonde certainly looked a deplorable
object. Her feet were two shapeless lumps of wet clay. She regarded
them with rueful consternation. Ardiune came running up, and, being of
a practical turn of mind, set to work to scrape her friend clean with
a thin piece of stone. She succeeded in removing the bulk of the
matter adhering to her, but there still remained a most unsightly
coating of mud.

"What were you doing to get yourself in such a fix?" she asked.

"I don't know. It looked quite solid, and then, when I stepped on it,
I just sank in--squash! I might have been swallowed up in it and
killed, if Ave hadn't tugged me