the girls left the snowdrop field with reluctance, though they realized the necessity for hurry. nearly everyone wished to dispatch her spoils home, and unless the boxes were sent very early to the post-office the chances were that there would not be time for the postmaster to stamp them officially, and that they might languish somewhere in the background of the village shop until next day, and consequently arrive at their destination in an utterly withered condition.
the school scrambled back along the top of the wall, therefore, with what haste the brambles and hazel-bushes allowed them, splashed recklessly among the pools of the flooded lane, and regained the high road with quite record speed. ulyth, walking with lizzie lonsdale, had left rona in the rear. rona, owing to her intimacy with ulyth, tried to tag on to v b, often receiving snubs from some of its members. her own form-mates were all considerably younger than herself. at first they had teased her shamelessly, but since the christmas holidays, recognizing that she was gaining a more established position in the school, they[pg 131] had begun to treat her more mercifully. some of them were really rather jolly children, and though twelve seems young to fourteen, the poor cuckoo was still a lonely enough bird to welcome any crumbs of friendship thrown in her way.
at the present moment winnie fowler and hattie goodwin were clinging to her arms, one on either side. their motives, i fear, were a trifle mixed. they found rona amusing and liked her company, but also they were tired and found if they dragged a little she would pull them along without remonstrance.
"my shoes are ever so wet," boasted winnie. "i plumped down deep in the lane, and the water went right through the laces at the top. it squelches as i walk. i feel like a soldier in the trenches."
"i've torn my coat in three places," said hattie, not to be outdone. "it will be a nice little piece of work for mrs. johnson to mend it."
"glad they don't make us mend our own coats here," grunted winnie.
"miss bowes would be ashamed to see me in it if i did," hattie chuckled, "but i've knitted a whole sock since christmas, and turned the heel too. cuckoo, aren't you tired?"
"not a scrap," replied rona, who was stumping along sturdily in spite of her encumbrances.
"well, i am. i wish it wasn't three miles back."
"it's not more than two as the crow flies."
"but we're not crows, and we can't fly, and there are no aeroplanes to give us a lift. we've got to tramp, tramp, tramp along the hard high road.[pg 132] i begin to sympathize with tommies on the march."
"why need we stick to the high road?" said rona, pausing suddenly. "if we struck across country we'd save a mile or more. look, the woodlands is over there, and if we made a beeline for it we'd cut off all that enormous round by cefn mawr. who's game to try?"
"oh, i am, if we can dodge teddie!"
"likewise this child," added winnie.
"oh, we'll dodge teddie right enough! it will be good scouting practice," chuckled rona. "sit down on that stone and tie your shoelace, and we'll wait for you while the others go on; then we'll bolt through that gate and over the wall into the next field."
the idea that it was scouting practice lent a vestige of sanction to the proceeding. winnie took the hint, and adjusted her shoelaces with elaborate care and deliberation.
"don't be all day over that," said miss teddington, who passed by but did not wait.
the moment she was round the corner of the road, and the high hedge screened her from view, the three deserters were through the gate and running across the field. they scaled a wall without much difficulty, and found themselves on a wide gorse-grown pasture. though they could not now see the chimneys of the woodlands in the distance, there were other landmarks quite sufficient to guide them. they plodded on cheerfully.
"it would be prime to have our snowdrops all[pg 133] packed up before the others got back," ventured hattie. "they'd be so surprised. they'd wonder how we'd stolen a march on them."
"if teddie asks where we were, we can truly say 'at the front'," winnie giggled.
"you'd better not pick up any nature specimens, though, or she'll want to know 'the exact locality' where you found them."
"um—yes! that might be awkward. this toadstool shall stay on its native heath, in case it tells tales."
it was rather a fascinating walk, all amongst the gorse-bushes. none of the three had been there before, and instinctively the younger ones left rona to lead the way. her bump of locality had been well developed in new zealand, so she strode on with confidence. but the ground shelved down suddenly, revealing a natural feature upon which they had not counted, a fairly wide brook, running between sandy banks. here indeed was an obstacle. winnie and hattie stared at it with blank faces and groaned.
"we'd forgotten the wretched llanelwyn stream. what atrocious luck! don't believe there's the ghost of a bridge anywhere. shall we have to go back?"
"i'm not going back," declared rona sturdily. "there must be some way of getting over it some where. come along and we'll prospect."
"oh, for the wings of a dove!" sighed hattie. "even those of the raggedest sparrow would be welcome."[pg 134]
"better wish yourself a fish, for you may have to try swimming," grunted winnie.
"i can't swim—not a stroke! you'll suggest i shall jump it next, i suppose. look here, we shall have to go back. there's nothing else for it. rona! corona mitchell! corona margarita! cuckoo! where've you gone to?"
"coo—ee!" came in reply from the distance, and presently rona appeared beckoning vigorously.
"we're—going—back," shouted hattie.
"no, no! come along here."
anxious to see if she had found any solution of the problem, the others pelted down a slope and joined her.
"here's our bridge," said rona proudly, as soon as they rounded the corner.
"that thing!" exclaimed winnie, looking aghast at the decidedly slim pole, that was fixed across the stream as a cattle bar.
"i'm not a tight-rope dancer, thank you!" sneered hattie rather indignantly.
"it'll be quite easy," rona urged.
"oh, i dare say! you won't find me trying to walk across it, i can tell you."
"i didn't ask you to walk. i'm going to sit on it cross-legged, like a tailor, and shuffle myself over. it's broad enough for that. i'll go first."
"oh, i daren't! i'd drop in!" wailed the younger ones in chorus.
"now don't funk. what two sillies you are! it won't be as hard as you think. just watch me do it."[pg 135]
fortunately the pole had two great advantages: it was firmly fixed in the bank on either side, so that it did not sway about, and, being the trunk of a fir-tree with the bark still left on, its surface offered some grip. rona's progress was slow but steady. she worked herself over by a few inches at a time. when she reached the water's edge on the far side she dropped on to a patch of silver sand and hurrahed.
"buck up, and come along," she yelled lustily.
this was scouting with a vengeance, and more than the others had bargained for; but the stronger will prevailed, and though they shook in their shoes they were persuaded to make the experiment.
"i'm all dithering," panted hattie, as winnie pushed her forward to try first.
it was not as bad as she had expected. she was able to cling tightly with hands and knees, and though she had one awful moment in the middle, when she thought she was overbalancing, she reached rona's outstretched hand in due course.
"you squealed like a pig," said the cuckoo.
"i thought i was done for. wouldn't you like to feel how my heart's beating?"
"no, i shouldn't. don't be affected. come along, win. we can't wait all day. i'll fish you out if you tumble in, i promise you. it isn't deep enough to drown you."
with many protestations, winnie, really very much scared, followed the others' lead, and got along quite successfully till within a foot of the brink; then the sudden mooing of a cow on the[pg 136] bank startled her, and so upset her equilibrium that she splashed into the water, wetting one leg thoroughly.
"ugh! my shoes were squelchy enough before," she lamented. "you can't think how horrid it is."
"never mind, you've got across."
"but you might sympathize."
"haven't time. we shall have to hurry up if we mean to be back before the others."
"did you think the cow was teddie calling you?" laughed hattie, who, having got her own trial over, could afford to jest at other people's misfortunes.
"you'd have jumped yourself. oh dear, i spilt most of my snowdrops, though i did tie the basket round my neck!"
"never mind; you can't fish them out of the stream now. i'll give you some of mine. here, take these," said rona. "i've nobody to send them to," she added, half to herself, as she climbed the bank.
"oh, thanks awfully! i always send mother a big bunch. she looks forward to them. i've brought a cardboard box from home on purpose to pack them in, because the cook runs quite out of starch-boxes. some of the girls last year had to wrap theirs just in brown paper. if you don't want yours, can you spare me a few more?"
"i'll keep just these to put in my bedroom, and you may have the rest if you like," replied rona, stalking ahead.
every now and then the sense of her loneliness smote her. she would probably be the only girl[pg 137] in the school who was not sending flowers away to-night. how different it would be if she had anybody in england who took an interest in her and cared to receive her snowdrops!
"it's no use crying for the moon," she decided, blinking hard lest she should betray symptoms of weakness before her juniors. "when a thing can't be helped it can't, and there's an end of it."
"cuckoo! corona margarita! do wait for us! you walk like the wind."
"or as if a bull were chasing you," panted hattie, overtaking her and claiming a supporting arm. "do you see where we've got ourselves to? the only way out of this is to go straight through the glynmaen wood."
"well, and why shouldn't we go through the glynmaen wood? is it any different to any other wood?"
"no, only they're horribly particular about trespassing. they stick up all kinds of notices warning people off."
"what rubbish! why, in new zealand we go where we like."
"oh, i dare say, in new zealand!"
"look, there's a notice up there," said winnie, pointing over the hedge to a tree whereon was nailed a weather-stained board bearing the inhospitable legend: "trespassers beware".
rona stared at it quite belligerently.
"i should like to pull it down," she observed. "what right has anybody to try to keep places all to themselves?"[pg 138]
"i suppose it belongs to lord glyncraig."
"all the more shame to him then. i shall take a particular pleasure in going, just because he sticks up 'don't'."
"suppose we're caught?"
"my blessed babes, you don't suppose i've come all this short cut and scrambled over a pole to be turned back by a trespass notice! do you want to cross the stream again and trail home by the road?"
"rather not!"
"then i'll give you a boost to get over the fence there."
the property was well protected. it took rona's best efforts to help her companions to scale the high oak boards. when they had all dropped safely to the other side they set off through the trees in the direction they judged would bring them out nearest to the woodlands.
three girls in thick shoes do not pass absolutely silently through a wood, especially if they indulge in giggles. winnie and hattie, moreover, could never be together without chattering incessantly. for the moment they had forgotten every principle of scouting. in that quiet, secluded spot their shrill voices rang out with extreme clearness. a rabbit or two scuttled away, and a pheasant flew off with a whirr. presently another and heavier pair of boots might be heard tramping towards them, the bushes parted, and a dour-looking face, with lantern jaws and a stubbly chin, regarded them grimly. the gamekeeper glowered a moment, then growled out:[pg 139]
"what are you three a-doing here?"
"that's our own business," retorted rona briskly.
" indeed? well, it happens to be my business too. you're trespassing, and you know it."
"we're doing no harm."
"aren't you? i suppose it's nothing to scare every pheasant in the wood. oh dear no!"
"what nonsense! it was only one," exclaimed rona, standing up against the bullying tone. "you're making the most unnecessary fuss. what right have you to stop us?"
"more right than you've got to be here. i won't have anybody in these woods, schoolgirls or no schoolgirls, so just you get back the way you came, or——"
"that will do, jordan," said a voice behind him.
the keeper started, turned, and touched his cap obsequiously.
"beg pardon, my lord, but the trespassing that goes on here gets past bearing, and wants putting a stop to."
"very well, i'll settle it myself," and lord glyncraig—for it was he—readjusted his glasses and stared reprovingly at the three delinquents.
"ah! girls from the woodlands—evidently out of bounds. i shall have to report you to your headmistress, i'm afraid. your names, please."
"winnie fowler," "hattie goodwin," murmured two subdued voices.
rona did not answer at all. she kept her head down and her eyes fixed on the ground.
"it's—it's surely not the same girl who did me[pg 140] such a service this morning on the marsh? then i must repeat my thanks. now, look here, you've been up to some mischief, all three of you. get back to school as quick as you can, and i'll say nothing about it! there! off you go!"
without another word the sinners pelted along through the wood, never pausing till they reached the railing and climbed over on to the high road. here, on free ground, they felt at liberty to express their indignation.
"he's a nasty, horrid old thing to turn us out!" panted hattie.
"how he looked at you, rona!" said winnie. "he stared and stared and stared!"
"wondering where he'd seen me before, i suppose. i expect the green stains on my coat reminded him. i got them hauling up his precious dog."
"it wasn't with him in the wood."
"oh, it's sitting by the fire drinking linseed tea! it looked a pampered brute."
"we shall have to scoot to keep clear of teddie."
"all right. scooterons-nous. thank goodness, there's the hedge of the woodlands! we'll slip in through the little side gate."
the three certainly merited discovery for their misdeeds, but on this occasion they evaded justice; for, as luck would have it, they reached the house just a moment or two before the rest of the school, and miss teddington, who was in a hurry to pack her boxes of snowdrops, concluded that they must have been in front with ulyth and lizzie, and did not stop to remember that she had left them tying[pg 141] winnie's shoelace by the roadside. it was seldom that such a palpable lapse escaped her keen eye and even keener comprehension; so they might thank their fortunate stars for their escape. hattie and winnie made great capital out of the adventure, and recounted all the details, much exaggerated, to a thrilled audience in iv b.
rona did not mention the matter to ulyth. perhaps, knowing her room-mate's standards, in her heart of hearts she was rather ashamed of it.
