, that when little George came down the garden, shouting to them
to come to breakfast, the strangers took heed to the child. They turned
their heads for a moment towards the garden, and then spoke together and
laughed.

"There, now!" cried Oliver, vexed: "that is all because we forgot to go
to breakfast. So much for my not having a watch! Mother need not have
sent George to make such a noise; but, if I had had a watch, he would
not have come at all; and these people would not have been put in mind
of us."

"You will soon be able to have a watch now, like the boys in Holland,"
said Mildred. "Your alabaster things will change away for a watch; will
not they? But we might not have remembered breakfast, if you had had a
watch."

"We are forgetting it now," said Oliver, catching up George and running
to the house, followed by Mildred, who could not help feeling as if
Roger was at her heels.

They were surprised to find how late it was. Their father was already
gone with Pastor Dendel's load of manure. Their mother only waited to
kiss them before she went, and to tell them the their father meant to be
back as soon as he could; and that meantime, neighbour Gool had promised
to keep an eye on the mill. If anything happened to frighten them,
Oliver or Ailwin had only to set the mill-sails agoing, and neighbour
Gool and his men would be with them presently. She did not think,
however, that anything would happen in the little time that their father
would be away.

"I will tell you what we will do!" cried Oliver, starting from his
chair, after he had been eating his bread and milk, in silence, for some
time after his mother's departure. "Let us dress up a figure to look
like father, and set him at the mill-window; so that those Redfurns
shall not find out that he is away. Won't that be good?"

"Put him on the mill-steps. They may not look up at the window."

"The mill-steps, then. Where is father's old hat? Put it on the broom
there, and see how it looks. Run up to the mill, dear, and bring his
jacket--and his apron," he shouted as his sister ran.

Mildred brought both, and they dressed up the broom.

"That will never do," said Mildred. "Look how the sleeves hang; and how
he holds his head! It is not a bit like a man."

"'Tis a good scarecrow," declared Ailwin. "I have seen many a worse
scarecrow than that."

"But this is to scare the Redfurns, and they are far wiser than crows,"
said Mildred. "Look