anor was generally easy to influence, but once
she made up her mind to a thing she was quietly stubborn and unyielding.

"All right, Nellie," Madge shrugged her shoulders eloquently, "but if
you and Harry are lost, don't expect us to come back to hunt for you.
Mrs. Preston particularly asked us to keep her in sight, as the roads
about here are confusing. I am sure I beg your pardon for intruding."
Madge touched her horse with the tip of her riding whip and cantered
back to Phil's side, her cheeks scarlet, her eyes snapping. Hereafter
Eleanor could go her own way. Madge had heard Harry Sears chuckle
derisively as she turned away and it made her very angry.

Eleanor gazed after Madge's horse a little regretfully; not that she
intended doing what her cousin had asked of her, but she was sorry that
Madge had become so cross over nothing.

[Illustration: "Hurry Along, Eleanor," Called Madge.]

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"I tell you, Miss Eleanor," Harry Sears continued when Madge was out of
hearing, "I don't trust that fellow Brewster. I know we are going to
have trouble with him before this holiday is over. I want to warn you,
because I know you don't like the fellow either. Tom Curtis won't hear a
word against him. But I know Brewster is up to some mischief when he
goes off for hours and stays by himself. I have pretty well made up my
mind to follow him some day to find out what he does."

Eleanor shook her gentle, brown head. "I don't think I would spy on him,
Harry," she protested. "I don't like David, because he is so rough and
rude, but I don't think he is positively bad."

"Oh, it wouldn't be spying," argued Harry. "If I think the fellow is
going to get us in trouble, I believe it is my duty to keep a close
watch on him."

"He'll be awfully angry," sighed Eleanor.

Harry made no answer, but merely smiled contemptuously.

Eleanor's horse was ambling down a road that was cut along the foot of a
tall hill. On the other side there was a steep declivity that dropped
nearly twenty feet to the ground. A low rail fence separated the
embankment from the road, which was rough and narrow.

All of a sudden Eleanor's horse began to shy off to one side of the
road. The more Eleanor pulled on her left rein, the more her horse moved
toward the right; and on the right side of the road was the precipice.

One of her horse's forefeet went down beneath the level of the road.
Eleanor tried to rein in, but she felt herself sliding backward