y, and ever ready for laughter,
which helped to conceal an undercurrent of serious thought. She was
an old pupil of Sarah Gurridge's, and consequently Prudence's
school-friend. But Alice lived in Ainsley, where, report had it, she
was "keeping company" with Robb Chillingwood, and now the two girls
only met when Alice visited the farm at such seasons of the year as
the present.

"Do you think it will be safe to go further?" asked Alice, in a tone
of awestruck amazement. "You say you are sure of the way. Would it not
be better to turn off here and make for Lonely Ranch, and seek
Chintz's guidance? There is time enough, and it is so easy to get
lost."

The girls had set out to visit Lonely Ranch, to enjoy a ramble and a
sort of picnic in the surrounding woods. Iredale was away on business,
and the two friends, availing themselves of the opportunity, were
taking a day off from the duties of the farm. They had started with
the intention of riding over and leaving their horses with Iredale's
man, Chintz, and then proceeding on foot. At the last moment Prudence
had changed her mind and decided on a visit to the great Lake of the
Woods, which was two miles further on to the south-west of the ranch.
They carried their provisions in their saddle-bags, and had made up
their minds to find some suitable break in the woods on the shore of
the lake where they could tether their horses and idle the afternoon
away.

Instead of turning into the valley of Owl Hoot they had crossed the
mouth of it, and were now at the summit of its eastern slope, gazing
out upon the mysteries of the almost uninhabited regions beyond.

"Of course it's safe, you silly," said Prudence. "Why, suppose we were
to lose ourselves, that old mare you are riding would take you home
straight as the crow flies. Besides, I have no fancy for that
ferret-faced Chintz becoming one of our party. We could never talk
freely in front of him."

"All right, then," said Alice, with a sigh. "You are leader of this
expedition. Don't the woods look gloomy? And look out beyond. There
seems to be no end to them. Shall we stop and have dinner here, and
ride on afterwards?"

"Certainly not, madam," Prudence said briskly. "No shirking; besides,
we want water to make our tea. There's none here."

Prudence understood her friend's fears, which were not without
reason. It was a simple thing to get lost in such a forest. But
anyway, as she had said, the old prairie horses they were