e. To their relief, the other excursionists who gradually assembled
took a hopeful view of the weather and predicted that it would be a fine
afternoon, whatever the morning might be.

As they were Naturalist Field Club people, our boys supposed they knew
what they were saying, and dismissed their qualms in consequence.

Wellham Abbey was ten miles off. Most of the party proposed to reach it
on foot. Mr Roe was driving with the doctor and his niece, and one or
two others, like Railsford, preferred to travel on wheels.

Dig was standing somewhat lugubriously beside Arthur, inspecting the
tandem, and wondering how he was to get to Wellham, when Mr Grover came
up and said to Railsford--

"How are you going, Railsford? Not in that concern, are you? Come and
walk with me, I've not had a chat with you for ages."

Arthur felt a violent dig in his ribs from the delighted baronet. There
was a chance for the "high old time" yet.

"Well, the fact is, I'd promised one of my boys to give him the ride,"
said the Master of the Shell.

"Oh, please don't mind me," said Arthur. "Oakshott and I can bring the
machine for you to Wellham, if you'd sooner walk."

"Is Oakshott going?"

"Yes, sir. Stafford's asked him, hasn't he, Dig?"

"Yes, sir. I've scouted for Stafford at cricket this term, so he's
asked me to-day; and I've done my lines, sir."

"Oh, very well," said Railsford, to whom the temptation of a walk with
Grover was even greater than that of a _tete-a-tete_ ride with Arthur
Herapath; "but can you manage it?"

"Manage it?" exclaimed they, in tones as if they could scarcely believe
they heard aright, "rather, sir."

"Well," said the master, tickled with the evident delight of the pair to
be together, "take care how you go. You had better take the Grassen
Road, so as to avoid the hill. Come along, Grover."

So these two artful young "naturalists" had it their own way after all.

"Come on, sharp," said Arthur, "and get out of the ruck."

"Jolly good joke telling us not to go by Maiden Hill," said Digby;
"that'll be the best part of the lark."

Luckily a tandem tricycle of the type provided for them is not a machine
which requires any very specially delicate riding. Had it been, Arthur
and Dig might have been some time getting out of the "ruck," as they
politely termed the group of their pedestrian fellow-naturalists. For
they were neither of them adepts; besides which, the tricycle being
intended for a