off
so?"

"If anybody can straighten things out, she's the one, though I don't see
how it's goin' to be done. Let's go into the house, an' do the work. I
b'lieve I can wash the dishes without breakin' any of 'em."

"What's the use to rush 'round like this? I'm all tired out goin' over
to McArthur's, an' there's no knowin' what'll happen if I can't get a
chance to rest."

"Now, don't be so foolish, Plums. You haven't done enough to hurt a
kitten, since we come here, an' all I'll ask of you is to take care of
the princess while I'm fixin' up."

With this understanding, Master Plummer agreed to his friend's proposal,
and during the next half hour Joe laboured faithfully at the housework,
while Plums amused the princess, when it was possible for him to do so
without too great an exertion.

Then it was that the child, who had been looking out of the window for a
moment, clapped her tiny hands, and screamed, as she pointed towards the
orchard, thereby causing Master Plummer to ascertain the cause of the
sudden outburst.

"There goes Dan Fernald!" he exclaimed.

"Where?"

"Sneakin' up through the orchard. It looks like he was goin' to the
barn."

"He's on some of his detective sprees, I s'pose. That feller can make an
awful fool of hisself without tryin' very hard," and Joe would have gone
back to his work but that Plums prevented him, by saying:

"He ain't sneakin' 'round there for any good. It would be different if
he thought we was in the garden. I wouldn't be 'fraid to bet he was
where he could see aunt Dorcas, when she went away, an' is countin' on
makin' it hot for us."

[Illustration: "'COME ON QUICK, PLUMS! DAN'S SET THE BARN A-FIRE.'"]

"It would be a sore job for him if he did. Look out for the princess,
an' I'll snoop 'round to see what he's doin'."

Joe went through the shed door, which led out of the garden, but could
see no one. If the amateur detective had not gone inside the barn, he
must be loitering at the further end, where he was screened from view of
any one on either side the building.

"If I go 'round there, he'll think it's because I'm 'fraid he'll make
trouble for us, an' that's what would please him," Joe said to himself.

Then, passing through the shed, he looked out of the door on the
opposite side.

No one could be seen from this point, and he returned to the garden just
as Dan came out from around the corner of the barn, running at full
speed towards a grove, situated a mile