not come,
nor would Grace Hedges. The others, however, saw some prospect of
amusement and were willing to pay the price.

They began to be paid for their walk as soon as they came out into the
open fields of Windmill Farm. A little breeze had sprung up and,
although it was fitful at first, it soon grew to a steady wind from
across the lake.

The distant haze was dissipated, and when the boys and girls reached the
top of the hill they were glad they had come.

"I bet we have a storm bye and bye," Dave said. "But isn't the air up
here cool?"

"Let's climb up into the loft," Frank urged. "The farmer's wife said we
could."

"They're all away from home to-day," Wyn said. "But I don't believe they
will mind. When we came up for the milk this morning Mrs. Prosser told
us they were going on a Sunday school picnic."

"I'd like to set the old thing to working," remarked the inquisitive
Ferdinand. "What do you know about it, Dave?"

"It starts by throwing in this clutch," replied the bigger boy, just
inside the door. "If the wind keeps on the farmer will probably grind a
grist when he comes back. You see, there are several bags of corn and
wheat yonder."

The girls were already finding their way up the dusty ladders, from loft
to loft of the tower. Frank got to the top floor first and called out
her delight at the view.

"Come on up!" she cried. "There is plenty of room. It's bigger up here
than you think--and the breeze is nice. There are two windows, and that
makes a fine draught."

The boys trooped up behind the Go-Aheads--all but Ferdinand. But none of
them missed him for some minutes.

What a view was obtained from the window of the mill! The whole panorama
of Lake Honotonka and its shores, with a portion of the Wintinooski
Valley, lay spread like a carpet at their feet--woods and fields,
cultivated land in the foreground, the rocky ridges of Gannet Island,
Jarley's Landing, the Forge, the steep shore of the lake beyond the
Wintinooski, and so around to the fine houses in Braisely Park and the
smoke of the big city to the west.

In the midst of their exclamations there came a sudden jar through the
heavily-timbered building that startled them.

"What's that?" cried Mina.

"An earthquake!" laughed Frankie.

"It's the sails!" yelled Dave, starting for the ladder. "What are you
doing down there, Ferd?"

The groaning and shaking continued. The arms of the windmill were going
round and round--every revolutio