sitting, "I know a place where there
are just heaps and heaps of them--all sorts and kinds. They're
top-hole!"

"Oh! Where?" exclaimed Lorraine and Monica in an excited duet.

"Down the railway cutting. They're all growing round the mouth of the
tunnel. I've seen them lots of times, but I never took any notice of
them before. If you like, I'll show you. There'll be just time before it
gets dark."

"We'll come now," said Lorraine, running to fetch hat and coat. "You're
a mascot, Mervyn!"

She had never thought of the railway cutting, for it was quite in the
town, and seemed a most unlikely place in which to go botanizing. They
walked down through the narrow streets by the harbour, then up the steep
road past the chapel and above the station, till they came to the high
palings that overlooked the line. Below them lay the entrance to the
tunnel, and growing in the crevices of the stone wall on either side of
the archway was a crop of ferns luxuriant enough amply to justify
Mervyn's enthusiastic description.

"How absolutely topping!" exclaimed Lorraine, scaling the palings with
scant consideration for her skirt and less for her fingers. "Shall I
help you, Cuckoo? Look out for splinters!"

But Monica's long legs already dangled on the far side, and she dropped
successfully if painfully into a clump of thistles, and followed her
brother down the bank.

There was no doubt about the excellence of the ferns, but they had one
disadvantage; like most botanical specimens of any value, the best and
finest grew out of reach. There was nothing for it but to climb the
wall. They had all three mounted up some distance, and were busily
pulling at roots, when a stern voice suddenly sounded in their ears.

"What are you doing up there? Get down at once!"

Lorraine was so startled that she lost her footing, and descended with
more speed than elegance, tumbling indeed almost into the arms of their
indignant questioner. He eyed her suspiciously, and turned to Mervyn and
Monica, who had come down with greater caution.

"Now you three've got to give an account of yourselves," he proclaimed.
"I'm a special constable, and I want to know what you're doing on the
railway line at the mouth of a tunnel."

"We were doing no harm," answered Mervyn, "only getting a few ferns."

"Oh, I dare say! And what else? This is a military area, and trespassing
on the railway line, and especially loitering in the vicinity of a
tunnel, comes under t