chose, with a deaf
and dumb boy for a guide.

"Who do you suppose is hidden in that house?" asked Phil nervously. She
could not get the subject off her mind.

Madge was far less interested, so she smiled. "You have always thought
that I had an excellent imagination," she teased, "but, really, this is
asking too much of me! Perhaps the man in the house is crazy; perhaps
he is heir to a large fortune, and the other wretch is trying to keep
him out of it. There may be a thousand reasons for his being there. Oh,
dear me, I am tired! If only this boy weren't deaf and dumb we might
get some information out of him. I am glad that we are going home by a
shorter route."

"I hope it is shorter," interrupted Phil. "Certainly it is entirely
different from the direction we took yesterday. We have not passed a
single familiar object since we started."

So far the girls had meekly and unquestioningly followed their guide.
Now a doubt assailed both of them at the same time. Could it be
possible that the lad had been sent to lead them out of their way? It
dawned on Phil that the boy had probably been told to take them home by
some route that would confuse them in case they ever desired to return
to the secluded house.

But it was perfectly hopeless to try to argue with a deaf and dumb boy.
The lad traveled at such a pace through the woods that the two girls
had difficulty in keeping up with him. Madge now ran ahead, catching
the boy by the sleeve. She tried to spell the word, "Home," on her
fingers. Then she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Are you taking us
home the right way?"

The boy grinned and bowed his head. He shot his fingers in the air and
began a rapid-fire conversation. Madge and Phil watched him, feeling
utterly helpless. The sign language had not been included in their
education. There was nothing for them to do but continue to follow
their leader.

Two hours more of travel and the wayfarers did not seem to be any
nearer home. Not a solitary familiar tree or bush appeared to welcome
them.

The knights were weary and disappointed. With what high hopes they had
set out on their travels! With what low spirits they returned home!
They were too tired to see where they were going, and they stumbled
blindly on, over tangled roots, around clumps of trees, through open
bits of woodland, too fatigued to protest or to ask questions.

Phil stole a look at her compass. It pointed southeast. Phil recalled
that she and Madg