ng strides
he started anew into the blackness of the woods.

The others eagerly followed. They had heard no sound, but their ears had
not the marvellous acuteness of the Adirondack guide, and without a
word they hastened to keep up with Long Sam's pace.

"Sing out again!" Sam cried, several times, and at last the others could
hear the faint high shrieks of Dotty and Dolly.

It seemed an endless journey, but at last the search party came upon the
two girls.

"Oh, Father!" and Dotty threw herself into his arms, while Bert made a
grab for Dolly and Bob danced around the group in glee.

"You're a nice pair!" observed Long Sam, who was no respecter of
persons, when acting in his capacity of guide. "What d'you cut up such a
trick as this for? You might 'a'knowed you'd get lost!"

"Now Sam, don't scold," said Dolly, well knowing that the bluff chap was
really talking roughly to hide his glad emotion at the rescue.

"You ought to be scolded all the same, but I s'pose your folks is so
glad to get you back that they'll just make the world and all of you."

And Sam's prognostication was verified. Following Sam's lead the party
trudged through the woods, all so jubilant at the happy ending to their
search, that scolding was not even thought of. And indeed why should it
be? The girls had done nothing wrong, unless perhaps they had wandered a
little deeper into the forest than it was advisable to go without a
guide. But Dotty was positive it would never happen again. And when they
reached camp and found Mrs. Rose and Genie waiting for them and a most
appetising supper spread out by Maria, the two refugees found themselves
looked down upon as heroines and were quite willing to accept the role.

CHAPTER XVII

SURFWOOD

A couple of days after their forest experience the two girls made ready
to go to the seashore.

Secretly, Dolly was glad. She had enjoyed much of her stay at Camp
Crosstrees, but she had about concluded that "roughing it" was not
altogether to her taste. She had liked the gay parties round the camp
fires, the swift motor-boat trips and the jolly picnic feasts, but she
was not enthusiastically fond of long tramps up and down mountains and
the deprivation of many home comforts and luxuries. She said no word of
this to her kind hosts, but she welcomed the day that would take her
back to her own people and their usual summer abode.

Also there had been really unpleasant experiences, from her lonely fir