CHAPTER XVI
Hare and Hounds
After the intense excitement of Ronnie's peril and subsequent rescue,his friends at the Dower House found it a little difficult to settledown into ordinary school routine. They could discuss no other topic,and many were their speculations concerning the brown-jerseyed strangerwho had appeared in the very nick of time, and vanished afterwardswithout waiting to be thanked. His identity had not been disclosed, andwhen the girls spoke of him, Miss Birks, rather to their surprise,dismissed the subject hurriedly.
"If he does not wish his brave deed to be acknowledged, we must respecthis silence," she said. "It is useless and futile to go further into thematter."
Mrs. Trevellyan was for a few days prostrated from the effects of thathalf-hour of suspense, but she had sufficiently recovered to attendchurch on Sunday, and holding Ronnie's little hand tightly in hers,knelt in the old Castle pew, with bent head and tears raining down hercheeks, as the clergyman announced that a member of the congregationdesired to return special thanks for a very great mercy vouchsafed toher during the past week. Others besides Mrs. Trevellyan joined withheart-felt gratitude in that addition to the general thanksgiving, andwhen afterwards the lines of the grand old hymn rang out--
"O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come",
there was not a girl in the Dower House pews who did not sing it withreal meaning in the words.
On the Monday, Mrs. Trevellyan, hoping to recover from her nervousattack more easily if she were out of sight of the sea, went away for ashort visit to an inland watering-place, taking Ronnie and poor contriteMiss Herbert, who could not forgive herself for having allowed her youngcharge to run into danger. Appreciating the wisdom of the step, andrealizing that her own girls had been in a state of high tension, andwere suffering from the consequent reaction, Miss Birks granted theschool a whole holiday, and took votes on how the day should be spent.Opinions seemed divided, so it was finally decided that Forms VI and VAshould go by train to Linsgarth, look over the ruins of the abbey, andwalk home by road; while VB, containing the younger and more wildlyenergetic spirits, should enjoy the pleasures of a game at hare andhounds.
It was years since a paper chase had been held at the school, and whilethe elder girls affected to despise it, the younger ones had plumpedfor it in a body. They felt they required something more stirring thanadmiring ruins and marching along a high road.
"It may be very cultured, and good taste, and intellectual, and all therest of it, to poke round with Miss Birks among Norman arches and brokenchoir-stalls, but it doesn't work off steam," confessed Evie Bennett."I'm longing for a good sporting run, and that's the fact!"
"Let the Sixth talk architectural jargon if they like; hard exercise forme!" agreed Betty Scott.
It was arranged that all should start out at ten o'clock; Miss Birksconducting the expedition to Linsgarth, and Miss Harding assumingcommand of the paper chase, while Mademoiselle, who was a bad walker anddisliked country excursions, promised herself a delightful day of restand leisure in the garden. Miss Birks insisted that there must be three"hares", all solemnly pledged to keep well together, and the remainingsix, who were to be "hounds", had orders not to outstrip Miss Harding tothe extent of getting hopelessly out of eyeshot and earshot. FortunatelyMiss Harding was energetic and enthusiastic, and promised not to be adrag on the proceedings. She donned her shortest skirt and her coolestjumper, and discarding a hat, appeared fully ready to play as hearty apart in the game as any of her pupils.
Everybody, naturally, was anxious to act "hare", so it was decided thatthe fairest plan was to draw lots for the coveted posts. The threefortunate papers with the crosses fell to Deirdre, Gerda, and AnniePridwell.
"I'm not jealous, but I do envy you dreadfully," confessed Evie Bennett."Oh, I'm not grumbling! I'm ready to take my sporting luck, and someonemust draw the blanks. You'll make capital hares, because you're all goodrunners and don't lose your breath quickly. But, I beseech you, don't gotoo fast! Remember, the hounds are tied to Miss Harding's apron-string.It's no fun if we can't catch a glimpse of you the whole run. And,please, do a little backwards-and-forwards work, cross a brook, ordouble round a wood--anything to make it more difficult to find thescent. We don't want to be home in a couple of hours."
"Trust us to be as cunning as foxes," declared Annie Pridwell. "I'm anold hand at the game. We play it in the holidays at home."
"I haven't Annie's experience, but I can run," said Deirdre.
"So you can, best of anyone in the school, and Gerda's no slacker, so Ithink you'll do."
Each girl had a packet of sandwiches and a small folding drinking-cup,so that they could take some refreshment when they felt hungry. MissBirks had arranged that a cold lunch should be laid in the dining-hallat the Dower House at one o'clock, and left on the table indefinitely,so as to be ready for the girls when they came in, whether early orlate, and those who returned first were to help themselves withoutwaiting for the others.
"We shall all feel far more at liberty with this plan," she said. "Itspoils everyone's pleasure to have to hurry home by a certain time. Itis much more enjoyable to think we have the day free to do as we like.We can have tea together in the evening, and compare our experiences."
"We shall have seen something worth seeing," declared the senior girls.
"Ah, but you won't have had the ripping, glorious time that we mean tohave!" retorted the members of VB.
Punctually at ten o'clock the three hares were ready, each with asatchel round her shoulder containing the scraps of torn paper that wereto provide the scent. They were to have ten minutes' start, after whichthe hounds would follow in full cry. They had decided among themselveswhat route to take, and, determined to give the hunt a run, theyselected the direction of Kergoff, and set off towards the old windmill,where in the early spring they had surveyed the country to draw maps, asa lesson in practical geography. There was a definite reason for theirchoice, as the windmill could be approached by no less than threeseparate paths, and by dodging from one to another of these they hopedvery successfully to puzzle their pursuers.
"We'll leave some scent by the gate of Perkins's farm," said theexperienced Annie; "then, of course, they'll think we've chosen the roadpast the quarry. But we'll only go a little way up the lane, then climbthe wall, cross the fields, and get into the upper road, leave a scentthere, then track through the wood, and go past the old yew tree by thepath over the tor."
"There'll be a scent on each separate path," chuckled Deirdre. "They'llbe a good long time in finding out which to follow. We must be carefulnot to let ourselves be seen when we're crossing the tor."
There was a delightful interest in baffling the hounds; it seemed tohold almost the thrill of earlier and more romantic times.
"Can you imagine the moss-troopers are after you?" asked Deirdre; "orthat you've slain the Red King, or robbed an abbot in the greenwood, andare fleeing for your life to take sanctuary in the nearest church?"
"No, I'm a smuggler," said Annie, "trying to outwit the coast-guardsmen,and arrange to leave my kegs of brandy and packets of tea and yards ofFrench lace in some cunning hiding-place. What are you, Gerda?"
"An escaped prisoner from Dartmoor, running from his warders?" queriedDeirdre. "That would be sport!"
"There's a warrant out for your arrest, and you're dodging the officersof the law," laughed Annie lightly.
But Gerda did not appear to accept the suggestions kindly, or in thespirit of fun in which they were intended. To the girls' surprise sheblushed, just as she used to do when first she came to school, andlooked so clearly annoyed instead of amused that the joke fell flat. Shewas never at any time talkative, but now, taking seeming offence atthese very innocent remarks, she drew into her innermost shell, andrefused to converse at all. Knowing her of old in this uncommunicativemood, the others did not trouble further, but left her to her owndevices until she chose to come out of it. They had found by experiencethat it was useless either t
o question her, laugh at her, or rally herupon her silence; the more they pressed the subject the more obstinateshe would grow. It was no great hardship to miss her out of their talk;they much preferred each other's company without an unwelcome third.
"Those that sulk for nothing may sulk, so far as I'm concerned,"remarked Deirdre pointedly.
"I hate people not to be able to take the least scrap of a joke," saidAnnie. "Why, Betty and Evie and I are teasing each other the whole timein our bedroom."
"You three certainly know how to rag."
"Rather! We'd die of dullness if we didn't."
All the time they went the "hares" were carefully carrying out theirpolicy of puzzling those who followed. Backwards and forwards, acrosssmall brooks, through woods and thickets, over field, farm-yard, andcommon they laid the most bewildering of scents, more than enough tosatisfy the demands of Evie Bennett, and sufficient indeed to make herdeclare it almost an impossibility to decide on the right track. Allthis artful dodging, however, had necessitated scattering a large numberof the precious handfuls of paper, and by the time they arrived at theold windmill they found to their consternation that the contents of thethree satchels were almost exhausted.
"What are we to do?" asked Annie tragically. "We can't go on and leaveno scents! Are we to sit here on the windmill steps, and let ourselvesbe run to earth when we've only done half the round?"
It was a crisis indeed, and Deirdre could not see any way out of thedifficulty. She stood ruefully contemplating her empty bag, and lookingutterly baffled. It was Gerda, after all, who came to the rescue with avaluable suggestion.
"We're close to that queer old house," she said. "Don't you remember howwe climbed in through the window, and found all those letters lyingabout upstairs? They can't be wanted, or somebody would have taken themaway. Let's go and see if they're still there, and commandeer what welike."
"Gerda, you're a genius!" shrieked Annie. "We'll go this second. Why,it's the very thing we want!"
It was no great distance to the old house. Down the corkscrew road theyran, through the small fir wood, and over the river by the stonebridge. "Forster's Folly" looked if possible even more tumbledown anddilapidated than when they had visited it in February. The spring galeshad blown down many more slates and made a gap in the roof; the creepersin their summer luxuriance almost hid the broken windows; large patchesof stucco had fallen from the walls; a chimney-pot lay smashed on thefront walk; one of the props of the long veranda had been swept away bythe whirling stream, leaving the flooring in a dangerous condition; andthe crop of nettles and brambles in the garden had outgrown all boundsand, smothering the original privet hedge, overflowed into the road.
"It's more spooky and Rat's Hall-y and Moated Grange-y than ever!"declared Annie. "I could imagine there'd been a witches' carnival sincewe were last here, or a dance of ghouls. Ugh! I'm all in a shiver athaving to go inside! Suppose we find the ghost after all?"
"I'll chance ghosts," said Deirdre. "I'd be a great deal more frightenedto find a tramp there!"
"Oh, surely even a tramp wouldn't spend a night in such a haunted den!Still, it's so deserted, it might be a place for smugglers or coiners orburglars. Oh, I don't think I dare go in after all! No, I daren't!"
Annie was half-serious, and looking inclined to turn tail.
GERDA DARTED UPON THE BATHFUL OF OLD LETTERS _Page 201_]
"Don't show the white feather now," said Gerda reproachfully. "Where arewe to get our paper from?"
"Come along, Annie, and don't be an idiot!" was Deirdre'suncomplimentary rejoinder. "Why, you were the first to go in before!"
"My nerves were stronger last February," protested Annie. "I'll let oneof you take the lead this time."
It was quite a pilgrimage through the nettle-grown garden to reach thewindow where they had made their entrance into the house. It was open,just as they had left it, but long trails of clematis swept across, andthere was an empty bird's nest on the corner of the sill. It did notappear as if anyone had disturbed its quiet for months. This time Gerdaled the way, with a confidence and assurance that rather surprised theother two. Through the dilapidated dining-room, along the dim mouldyhall and up the creaking stairs they tramped, trying by the noise theymade to dispel the ghostly feeling that clung to the deserted old place.If coiners, smugglers, or burglars had visited the house, they had leftno trace of their presence. Everything on the story above was untouched,though perhaps a trifle more dust-covered and cobwebby than before.Gerda darted upon the bathful of old letters, and with eager fingersanxiously began turning them hurriedly over.
"Haven't time to sort them out," declared Annie, snatching up a handfuland putting them into her bag. "I vote we take what we want, and tearthem up outside. Why are you looking at them so particularly, Gerda?"
"I thought some might have crests. Do let me see what you've taken!"said Gerda beseechingly. "No, I don't want these!"
"Why, you've never looked inside the envelopes! How can you tell whetherthey've crests?"
"Oh, never mind! It doesn't matter!" Gerda was on the floor, searchingamong some opened and torn sheets that lay on the mouldering straw.
"Look here! We can't stay all day while you read old Forster'scorrespondence! We've got enough! Come along!"
"One minute! Oh, do wait for me a second! I'll come! Yes, I'll come inhalf a jiffy!"
"We'll go without you, then you'll soon trot after us," said Deirdre,who had filled her satchel. She and Annie clattered downstairs again,looked into the empty kitchen, and dared each other to peep into thedark hall cupboard. They had hardly waited more than a minute in thedining-room when Gerda joined them.
"Well, have you found the orthodox long-lost will?" mocked Annie.
"I've got enough scent to take us back to Pontperran, and that's what Iwanted," retorted Gerda, with a light in her eyes that seemed almostmore than the occasion justified.
No more time must be lost if they did not want to be run to earth by thehounds, so returning to the windmill steps they tore up their freshsupply of paper, taking bites of their sandwiches while they did so. Aloud "Cuckoo!" in the distance caused all three to start to their feetin alarm, and leaving a trail behind the broken sail, they scrambledover a fence, and dived down through a coppice which led to the stream.They followed the bank for some distance before they judged it safe oncemore to take to a foot-path, then doubling round the hill on which thewindmill stood, they tacked off in the direction of Kergoff.
The hounds reached the Dower House at five o'clock, exactly half an hourafter the hares, and over a combined luncheon-tea discussed the run, anduniversally agreed that the day had been "ripping".
The Sixth and VA, rather puffed up with their archaeological researches,tried to be superior and instructive, and to give their juniors a digestof what they had learnt at the abbey. But at this VB rebelled.
"You've had your fun, and we've had ours," said Annie. "Don't try andcram architecture down our throats. I tell you frankly, I can't tell thedifference between a Norman arch and any other kind of one, and I don'twant to!"
"You utter ignoramus!"
"I'm a good hare, if I'm nothing else!" chuckled Annie. "We must haveled them a run of about fourteen miles!"
* * * * *
"Deirdre, I want to ask you something," said Gerda that evening. "Youremember that crest you took before from Forster's Folly? Will you swopit with me for some chocolates?"
"Why, I'll give it to you if you like," returned Deirdre, who was in anamiable, after-tea frame of mind, and disposed towards generosity. "I'mtired of crest collecting, and I've taken up stamps. Here it is! It'sbeen in my jewel-box since the day I got it. Are you going in forcrests?"
"They're my latest and absolutely dearest hobby," declared Gerdaemphatically.