Abel Force smilingly approached them.

"Ah! You here, colonel? That is right. We'll all go down to tea together.
I feel really so delighted to have met with an old friend of my wife that
I cannot bear to lose sight of him. We must leave here on Monday. Now, my
dear colonel, could you not arrange your affairs so as to accompany us? If
your plan of travel would admit of your giving us the pleasure of your
company on our return journey, we should be really delighted, you know.
The hunting season will soon be on, and I could show you some fine sport,"
said Mr. Force.

And then seeing his eldest daughter enter the room, he drew her arm within
his own and smilingly waved his hand to the colonel to take Mrs. Force and
lead the way to the tea room.

But the lady refused to see the signal, took the arm of her governess,
Miss Meeke, and went on, the colonel walking persistently beside her.

"What do you hunt in your grand duchy, sir? Buffalo? Bears? Wolves?"
inquired the colonel, when they were all seated at the table.

"No," laughed Mr. Force, good-humoredly. "You would have to go a thousand
miles to the west for that game, colonel. We hunt just what you do in
England--with a difference--we hunt foxes and hares, and sometimes deer.
Oh, we will show you! You will think yourself back in old England. Come.
Shall we consider the matter settled?" cordially demanded Mr. Force.

"Thanks very much. I shall be too happy to make one of your traveling
party. I will go."

CHAPTER IV

A DANGEROUS GUEST

"Remember," said the munificent Marylander to his new acquaintance, when
they were about to start, "my wife's old friend is my guest from the
moment we leave this hotel."

Which words being translated into practice, meant that Mr. Force, from the
time the party left the Cataract House, paid all the colonel's traveling
expenses from Niagara to Mondreer--even though they lingered at several
pleasant stopping places and took the Adirondacks on their way.

The frank and obliging colonel not being afflicted with any delicate
sensibilities, made not the slightest objection to having all his bills
paid by his host, nor felt the least hesitation in borrowing all the money
he wanted, using various pretexts of delayed remittances, and so forth,
all of which excuses the straightforward and unsuspicious Marylander
believed, feeling well pleased to be his guest's banker.

It was the first of October when the travelers finally reached