f
the last two days, and as she recalled one after the other the
unprecedented adventures which had overtaken her, she wondered in a
dreamy way what would next befall. She built hazy hypotheses, sitting
there alone in the moonlight, nodding contentedly. Suddenly she
straightened up, realizing that she had been aroused from a doze by a
cry near at hand.

Turning toward London, she saw a wriggling mass about fifty feet away
which, by a process of slow disentanglement, gradually developed into a
man's form rising from the ground and raising a fallen bicycle.

"Darn the luck!" said this dark figure. "Busted my tire, sure as
shootin'!"

"Copernicus Droop!" cried Rebecca, in a loud voice.

Droop jumped high in the air, so great was his nervousness. Then,
realizing that it was Rebecca who had addressed him, he limped toward
her, rolling his bicycle beside him.

"How in creation did you get here?" he asked. "Ain't any steam-cars
'round here, is there?"

"Guess not!" Rebecca replied. "I come by short cut up river. I guessed
you'd make fer the Panchronicle, and I jest made up my mind to come,
too. Thinks I, 'that Copernicus Droop ud be jest mean enough to fly away
all by himself an' leave me an' Phoebe to shift fer ourselves.' So I'm
here to go, too--an' what's more, we've got to take Phoebe!"

"How'll ye find yer sister, Cousin Rebecca?" said Droop. "We must git
out to-night. When the Queen gets on her ear like that, it's now or
never. Can you find Cousin Phoebe to-night?"

"Where is the old machine, anyhow?" Rebecca asked, not heeding Droop's
question.

"Right over yonder," said he, pointing to a dark group of trees a few
rods distant.

"Well, come on, then. Let's go to it right away," said Rebecca. "I'd
like to rest a bit. I'm tired!"

"Tired!" Droop exclaimed. "What about me, then?"

Without further parley, the two set off toward the grove which Droop had
indicated. Having dwelt here for several weeks, he knew his bearings
well, but it was not until they came much nearer to the deserted mansion
that Rebecca recognized several landmarks which convinced her that he
had made no mistake.

Under the trees, the shadows were so black that they were unable to find
the breach in the wall.

"Got any matches, Cousin Rebecca?" Droop asked.

"Yes. Wait a minute an' I'll strike a light. I know that blessed hole is
somewhere right near here."

She found again her card of matches, and breaking off one of them, soon
had