the animal would be almost sure to come in contact with it.

"There! That's done!" announced Shirley. "Now, Mr. Deer, you can come
just as soon as you want to. I'm ready!"

Bet was using all her strength to pry off the board from the wall.

"Here, give it to me, Bet! I'm a wild and woolly westerner and big
nails are nothing in my life."

With a screeching, protesting sound the huge nails were pulled out and
the board came loose. The girls peered into the opening but did not
see anything at first.

"Nothing there!" said Kit with disgust, as she turned away.

"There's something white in here!" exclaimed Bet as she slipped her
hand into the closet. She grasped the object in a tight grip and
brought it forth.

"Oh look! We've found hidden treasure!" shouted Joy, laughing.
"Let's see it.--No, it's just a dusty cloth tied around a stick."

But Bet was trembling with excitement. She exclaimed: "Girls, it's the
fan! The queen's fan!" She unwrapped the cloth and showed the
precious object, then burst into tears.

But the girls cried out excitedly: "Found! What wonderful luck!"

"How did it get here?"

"This must be a thieve's [Transcriber's note: thief's?] hiding place!
Oh, maybe the thief is around here!"

"What shall we do!"

"Do? I'll say grab it and get out of this place as soon as we
can.--And keep running until we reach the bus line. Don't wait a
minute, girls! I'll just lay suspicion by nailing this board back
again!" And Kit gave some good swinging strokes with the hatchet.

The girls ran in terror, for they expected the thief to be in pursuit.
They glanced back anxiously with little squeals. But Bet hugged the
fan to her breast and did not speak.

The four girls waited for the bus at the deserted corner of the woods.
It was already dusk. Bet looked anxiously about, fearing to hear a
long whistle, a signal of the thieves. So many things had happened
recently the girls did not feel safe. They might be held up, even yet.
It seemed hours before they saw the bus.

Shirley hailed it and the girls climbed on trying compose themselves
and not look self-conscious.

Suddenly Shirley jumped to her feet. "My camera! I shouldn't have
left it there! I never want to see that place again!"

"Ssh! Don't talk so loud, Shirley!" Bet whispered. "And don't worry.
We'll ask Bob and Phil to come up with us and get it. We'll tell them
to bring a shot gun! And who knows, maybe in the meantime you