panion stood up and addressed some
remark to the tricycle riders. Then it seemed as if he pointed up hill
to where Mr. Hoopdriver and his companion stood side by side. A still
odder thing followed; the lady in grey took out her handkerchief,
appeared to wave it for a moment, and then at a hasty motion from her
companion the white signal vanished.

"Surely," said Jessie, peering under her hand. "It's never--"

The tandem tricycle began to ascend the hill, quartering elaborately
from side to side to ease the ascent. It was evident, from his heaving
shoulders and depressed head, that the burly gentleman was exerting
himself. The clerical person on the tricycle assumed the shape of a note
of interrogation. Then on the heels of this procession came a dogcart
driven by a man in a billycock hat and containing a lady in dark green.

"Looks like some sort of excursion," said Hoopdriver.

Jessie did not answer. She was still peering under her hand. "Surely,"
she said.

The clergyman's efforts were becoming convulsive. With a curious jerking
motion, the tricycle he rode twisted round upon itself, and he partly
dismounted and partly fell off. He turned his machine up hill again
immediately and began to wheel it. Then the burly gentleman dismounted,
and with a courtly attentiveness assisted the lady in grey to alight.
There was some little difference of opinion as to assistance, she
so clearly wished to help push. Finally she gave in, and the burly
gentleman began impelling the machine up hill by his own unaided
strength. His face made a dot of brilliant colour among the greys and
greens at the foot of the hill. The tandem bicycle was now, it seems,
repaired, and this joined the tail of the procession, its riders walking
behind the dogcart, from which the lady in green and the driver had now
descended.

"Mr. Hoopdriver," said Jessie. "Those people--I'm almost sure--"

"Lord!" said Mr. Hoopdriver, reading the rest in her face, and he turned
to pick up his machine at once. Then he dropped it and assisted her to
mount.

At the sight of Jessie mounting against the sky line the people coming
up the hill suddenly became excited and ended Jessie's doubts at once.
Two handkerchiefs waved, and some one shouted. The riders of the tandem
bicycle began to run it up hill, past the other vehicles. But our young
people did not wait for further developments of the pursuit. In another
moment they were out of sight, riding hard down a steady