Mr. Anstruther
should persist in accompanying them. The latter, however, recognising
that Geoffrey was right, and that his presence would be a hindrance
rather than a help, had already given up the idea of joining them.

For once, as Edward remarked, Geoffrey's motor bicycle happened to be in
full working order, and in less than five minutes he had his acetylene
lamp lighted, and had gone vigorously hooting down the drive. It was then
half-past seven; he expected, he said, to be easily back by a quarter
past eight with the news whether the fugitive had reached Windy Gap or
not. Edward, however, had shaken his head at that, and replied that, what
with the bad roads and the fog, he could not be back in anything like
that time.

Hardly had Geoffrey gone than the boys were joined by Maud.

"I am coming with you three," she said. "Mother has just asked Mr.
Anstruther to dinner, and though I'm pretty hungry, I don't fancy the
meal in his society. What a waxy old gentleman it is! and how mother will
catch it if she airs any of the slang she has picked up from us!"

The three boys laughed, and when presently, armed with lanterns and
bicycle lamps, they set off down the drive, they all amused themselves by
repeating and jesting over as many of Mr. Anstruther's caustic remarks as
they could remember. They agreed among themselves that poor Margaret must
indeed have an awful time of it with him, and that she was highly to be
commended for the pluck she had shown in calmly escaping from his
authority directly she got the chance.

"But who would have thought she had it in her to go in for a thing of
this sort?" said Noel. "The cool cheek of it beats anything I ever heard.
I say, I wonder what the other girl--the real Eleanor Carson--is like?
She looked frightfully subdued, didn't she? I expect she has been
catching it from him pretty well."

The plan that the little band of searchers had formed was to follow the
road taken by Geoffrey until they got to the top of the steep brow of the
hill, and then, leaving the road, to strike across the grass, for it was
probable that Margaret had essayed the short cut to Windy Gap, and that
she might be wandering about hopelessly lost not very far from the point
where she had left the road. In any case, they resolved not to stay out
for more than an hour or so, but to return home at the end of that time
and find out what news Geoffrey had of her.

But it was not until the town hall clock wa