children! You have frightened them all to death!" Pausing an
instant in her vigorous shaking, she pointed at the circle of
sisters,--Mercedes, weak and trembling, bent over the limp form of
little Janie, blowing frantically in the still, white face; a
thoroughly subdued and frightened Toady was wildly fanning poor Irene,
who had likewise crumpled in a faint; while close by sat Susie and Inez
clinging to each other and sobbing in terror.

"Oh, I didn't mean to!" bellowed Billiard, as Tabitha resumed her
shaking. "I thought they'd seen Indians before."

"And so they have, but not such horrible savages as you!" Shake!
Shake! Shake!

Irene sighed faintly and opened her eyes. Toady's heart gave a violent
thump of relief and thanksgiving, and abruptly dropping the headdress
of feathers which he had been using as a fan, he flew to his brother's
rescue.

"Oh, please, Mrs. Tabitha," he pleaded, "you've drubbed him enough.
Shake me if you ain't through yet. You'll have him plumb addled!
Really, we were just in for some fun. We never dreamed the kids would
scare so easy. That's only vegetable dye on Rosslyn's head. He
thought we had scalped him, but we didn't mean to hurt him."

Tabitha glanced down into the entreating brown eyes at her elbow,
straightway forgave Toady, and released her victim so suddenly that he
fell sprawling into a nest of sharp-thorned Mormon pears; but of this
she was unaware, for with one swoop she gathered up the now hysterical
baby, and stalked off toward the house, saying grimly, "You boys stay
right where you are until you are willing to apologize and promise to
behave yourselves in the future. I've a mind to turn you over to the
sheriff now. Come, girls!" Followed by the troop of white, shivering
sisters, she disappeared within doors, and soon quiet reigned in the
Eagles' Nest.

Only then did the cowed Billiard venture to peer from his retreat at
the house below. It was nearing the supper hour and he was hungry, but
Tabitha had said he must apologize and promise good behaviour before he
would be admitted to the family circle. It was evident that she meant
business.

"Toady," he whispered to the other boy, sitting silent and motionless
where he had dropped when Tabitha had left them an hour before.
"Toady, can you see anyone down there?"

Toady glanced off at the hazy flat below with its winding silver ribbon
of railroad track, and the lonely, dingy station house, and shook his