, wide, fearless, as free from suspicion as a
child's who has never been rebuked. Her interest was more that of
an intent boy playing a fascinating game than of a girl lured by an
ornament.

The others moved a bit farther out, holding firmly, watching. Terry's
smile was irreproachable, but I did not like the look in his eyes--it
was like a creature about to spring. I could already see it happen--the
dropped necklace, the sudden clutching hand, the girl's sharp cry as he
seized her and drew her in. But it didn't happen. She made a timid reach
with her right hand for the gay swinging thing--he held it a little
nearer--then, swift as light, she seized it from him with her left, and
dropped on the instant to the bough below.

He made his snatch, quite vainly, almost losing his position as his
hand clutched only air; and then, with inconceivable rapidity, the three
bright creatures were gone. They dropped from the ends of the big boughs
to those below, fairly pouring themselves off the tree, while we climbed
downward as swiftly as we could. We heard their vanishing gay laughter,
we saw them fleeting away in the wide open reaches of the forest, and
gave chase, but we might as well have chased wild antelopes; so we
stopped at length somewhat breathless.

"No use," gasped Terry. "They got away with it. My word! The men of this
country must be good sprinters!"

"Inhabitants evidently arboreal," I grimly suggested. "Civilized and
still arboreal--peculiar people."

"You shouldn't have tried that way," Jeff protested. "They were
perfectly friendly; now we've scared them."

But it was no use grumbling, and Terry refused to admit any mistake.
"Nonsense," he said. "They expected it. Women like to be run after. Come
on, let's get to that town; maybe we'll find them there. Let's see, it
was in this direction and not far from the woods, as I remember."

When we reached the edge of the open country we reconnoitered with our
field glasses. There it was, about four miles off, the same town, we
concluded, unless, as Jeff ventured, they all had pink houses. The broad
green fields and closely cultivated gardens sloped away at our feet, a
long easy slant, with good roads winding pleasantly here and there, and
narrower paths besides.

"Look at that!" cried Jeff suddenly. "There they go!"

Sure enough, close to the town, across a wide meadow, three bright-hued
figures were running swiftly.

"How could they have got that far in this ti