CHAPTER X
Trespassers Beware!
The girls left the snowdrop field with reluctance, though they realizedthe necessity for hurry. Nearly everyone wished to dispatch her spoilshome, and unless the boxes were sent very early to the post-office thechances were that there would not be time for the postmaster to stampthem officially, and that they might languish somewhere in thebackground of the village shop until next day, and consequently arriveat their destination in an utterly withered condition.
The school scrambled back along the top of the wall, therefore, withwhat haste the brambles and hazel-bushes allowed them, splashedrecklessly among the pools of the flooded lane, and regained the highroad with quite record speed. Ulyth, walking with Lizzie Lonsdale, hadleft Rona in the rear. Rona, owing to her intimacy with Ulyth, tried totag on to V B, often receiving snubs from some of its members. Her ownform-mates were all considerably younger than herself. At first they hadteased her shamelessly, but since the Christmas holidays, recognizingthat she was gaining a more established position in the school, theyhad begun to treat her more mercifully. Some of them were really ratherjolly children, and though twelve seems young to fourteen, the poorCuckoo was still a lonely enough bird to welcome any crumbs offriendship thrown in her way.
At the present moment Winnie Fowler and Hattie Goodwin were clinging toher arms, one on either side. Their motives, I fear, were a triflemixed. They found Rona amusing and liked her company, but also they weretired and found if they dragged a little she would pull them alongwithout remonstrance.
"My shoes are ever so wet," boasted Winnie. "I plumped down deep in thelane, and the water went right through the laces at the top. Itsquelches 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. "Itwill 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 ofher 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 togive us a lift. We've got to tramp, tramp, tramp along the hard highroad. I begin to sympathize with Tommies on the march."
"Why need we stick to the high road?" said Rona, pausing suddenly. "Ifwe struck across country we'd save a mile or more. Look, The Woodlandsis over there, and if we made a beeline for it we'd cut off all thatenormous 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 scoutingpractice," 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 throughthat gate and over the wall into the next field."
The idea that it was scouting practice lent a vestige of sanction to theproceeding. Winnie took the hint, and adjusted her shoelaces withelaborate care and deliberation.
"Don't be all day over that," said Miss Teddington, who passed by butdid not wait.
The moment she was round the corner of the road, and the high hedgescreened her from view, the three deserters were through the gate andrunning across the field. They scaled a wall without much difficulty,and found themselves on a wide gorse-grown pasture. Though they couldnot now see the chimneys of The Woodlands in the distance, there wereother landmarks quite sufficient to guide them. They plodded oncheerfully.
"It would be prime to have our snowdrops all packed up before theothers got back," ventured Hattie. "They'd be so surprised. They'dwonder how we'd stolen a march on them."
"If Teddie asks where we were, we can truly say 'at the front'," Winniegiggled.
"You'd better not pick up any nature specimens, though, or she'll wantto know 'the exact locality' where you found them."
"Um--yes! That might be awkward. This toadstool shall stay on its nativeheath, in case it tells tales."
It was rather a fascinating walk, all amongst the gorse-bushes. None ofthe three had been there before, and instinctively the younger ones leftRona to lead the way. Her bump of locality had been well developed inNew Zealand, so she strode on with confidence. But the ground shelveddown suddenly, revealing a natural feature upon which they had notcounted, a fairly wide brook, running between sandy banks. Here indeedwas an obstacle. Winnie and Hattie stared at it with blank faces andgroaned.
"We'd forgotten the wretched Llanelwyn stream. What atrocious luck!Don't believe there's the ghost of a bridge anywhere. Shall we have togo back?"
"I'm not going back," declared Rona sturdily. "There must be some way ofgetting over it some where. Come along and we'll prospect."
"Oh, for the wings of a dove!" sighed Hattie. "Even those of theraggedest sparrow would be welcome."
"Better wish yourself a fish, for you may have to try swimming," gruntedWinnie.
"I can't swim--not a stroke! You'll suggest I shall jump it next, Isuppose. Look here, we shall have to go back. There's nothing else forit. Rona! Corona Mitchell! Corona Margarita! Cuckoo! Where've you goneto?"
"Coo--ee!" came in reply from the distance, and presently Rona appearedbeckoning 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 otherspelted down a slope and joined her.
"Here's our bridge," said Rona proudly, as soon as they rounded thecorner.
"That thing!" exclaimed Winnie, looking aghast at the decidedly slimpole, that was fixed across the stream as a cattle bar.
"I'm not a tight-rope dancer, thank you!" sneered Hattie ratherindignantly.
"It'll be quite easy," Rona urged.
"Oh, I dare say! You won't find me trying to walk across it, I can tellyou."
"I didn't ask you to walk. I'm going to sit on it cross-legged, like atailor, and shuffle myself over. It's broad enough for that. I'll gofirst."
"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 youthink. Just watch me do it."
Fortunately the pole had two great advantages: it was firmly fixed inthe bank on either side, so that it did not sway about, and, being thetrunk of a fir-tree with the bark still left on, its surface offeredsome grip. Rona's progress was slow but steady. She worked herself overby a few inches at a time. When she reached the water's edge on the farside 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 hadbargained for; but the stronger will prevailed, and though they shook intheir shoes they were persuaded to make the experiment.
"I'm all dithering," panted Hattie, as Winnie pushed her forward to tryfirst.
It was not as bad as she had expected. She was able to cling tightlywith hands and knees, and though she had one awful moment in the middle,when she thought she was overbalancing, she reached Rona's outstretchedhand 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'sbeating?"
"No, I shouldn't. Don't be affected. Come along, Win. We can't wait allday. I'll fish you out if you tumble in, I promise you. It isn't deepenough to drown you."
With many protestations, Winnie, really very much scared, followed theothers' lead, and got along quite successfully till within a foot of thebrink; then the sudden mooing of a cow on the bank startled her, and soupset her equilibrium that she splashed into the water, wetting one legthoroughly.
"Ugh! My shoes were squ
elchy enough before," she lamented. "You can'tthink 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 beforethe 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'smisfortunes.
"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 yousome of mine. Here, take these," said Rona. "I've nobody to send themto," she added, half to herself, as she climbed the bank.
"Oh, thanks awfully! I always send Mother a big bunch. She looks forwardto them. I've brought a cardboard box from home on purpose to pack themin, because the cook runs quite out of starch-boxes. Some of the girlslast year had to wrap theirs just in brown paper. If you don't wantyours, can you spare me a few more?"
"I'll keep just these to put in my bedroom, and you may have the rest ifyou like," replied Rona, stalking ahead.
Every now and then the sense of her loneliness smote her. She wouldprobably be the only girl in the school who was not sending flowersaway to-night. How different it would be if she had anybody in Englandwho took an interest in her and cared to receive her snowdrops!
"It's no use crying for the moon," she decided, blinking hard lest sheshould betray symptoms of weakness before her juniors. "When a thingcan'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 andclaiming a supporting arm. "Do you see where we've got ourselves to? Theonly 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 anydifferent to any other wood?"
"No, only they're horribly particular about trespassing. They stick upall 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 hedgeto a tree whereon was nailed a weather-stained board bearing theinhospitable legend: "Trespassers Beware".
Rona stared at it quite belligerently.
"I should like to pull it down," she observed. "What right has anybodyto try to keep places all to themselves?"
"I suppose it belongs to Lord Glyncraig."
"All the more shame to him then. I shall take a particular pleasure ingoing, 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 andscrambled over a pole to be turned back by a trespass notice! Do youwant 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 hercompanions to scale the high oak boards. When they had all droppedsafely to the other side they set off through the trees in the directionthey judged would bring them out nearest to The Woodlands.
Three girls in thick shoes do not pass absolutely silently through awood, especially if they indulge in giggles. Winnie and Hattie,moreover, could never be together without chattering incessantly. Forthe moment they had forgotten every principle of scouting. In thatquiet, secluded spot their shrill voices rang out with extremeclearness. A rabbit or two scuttled away, and a pheasant flew off with awhirr. Presently another and heavier pair of boots might be heardtramping towards them, the bushes parted, and a dour-looking face, withlantern jaws and a stubbly chin, regarded them grimly. The gamekeeperglowered a moment, then growled out:
"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, andyou 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 againstthe bullying tone. "You're making the most unnecessary fuss. What righthave you to stop us?"
"More right than you've got to be here. I won't have anybody in thesewoods, schoolgirls or no schoolgirls, so just you get back the way youcame, 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 pastbearing, and wants putting a stop to."
"Very well, I'll settle it myself," and Lord Glyncraig--for it washe--readjusted his glasses and stared reprovingly at the threedelinquents.
"Ah! girls from The Woodlands--evidently out of bounds. I shall have toreport 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 onthe ground.
"It's--it's surely not the same girl who did me such a service thismorning 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 asquick as you can, and I'll say nothing about it! There! Off you go!"
Without another word the sinners pelted along through the wood, neverpausing till they reached the railing and climbed over on to the highroad. Here, on free ground, they felt at liberty to express theirindignation.
"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 andstared!"
"Wondering where he'd seen me before, I suppose. I expect the greenstains 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 pamperedbrute."
"We shall have to scoot to keep clear of Teddie."
"All right. Scooterons-nous. Thank goodness, there's the hedge of TheWoodlands! We'll slip in through the little side gate."
The three certainly merited discovery for their misdeeds, but on thisoccasion they evaded justice; for, as luck would have it, they reachedthe house just a moment or two before the rest of the school, and MissTeddington, who was in a hurry to pack her boxes of snowdrops, concludedthat they must have been in front with Ulyth and Lizzie, and did notstop to remember that she had left them tying Winnie's shoelace by theroadside. It was seldom that such a palpable lapse escaped her keen eyeand even keener comprehension; so they might thank their fortunate starsfor their escape. Hattie and Winnie made great capital out of theadventure, and recounted all the details, much exaggerated, to athrilled audience in IV B.
Rona did not mention the matter to Ulyth. Perhaps, knowing herroom-mate's standards, in her heart of hearts she was rather ashamed ofit.