d play too, and try to remember all
the time that it was only Madge roaring among the trees and not really
a bear.

The next day it happened that there was a large picnic party, to which
all the elders were invited, including Sydney, Loo, and Lena. So the
three younger children, with nurse and Baby and the other servants,
had it all to themselves. It was rather a dull day, Walter thought. He
was thinking about the wheel and wondering if it was turning merrily
in the stream, or if Sydney had put it away. He would have given
worlds to go and see, but he never got the chance. When the children
went to the kitchen garden it was to walk round with nurse.

[Illustration:]

Johnny was bemoaning that strawberries were over, and Madge was
looking vainly for gooseberries on the trees that had long ago been
stripped. But Walter cast furtive glances at the thick elder-bush by
the wall, and shivered a little inside when he thought of what Sydney
had told him about it.

Directly after that they went indoors to have supper and go to bed. As
they were undressing it was discovered that Madge had lost a coral
necklace she had on. It was a fancy of her mother's that Madge should
always wear this, as it was a present from a dead godmother, and the
question now was where it had been dropped.

"She had it on at the gooseberry-bushes," said Walter, "for I saw it."

Nurse was just then undressing Johnny.

"You can run down the garden and look for it, Master Walter," said
she. "It gets dark so fast I shan't be able to see by the time I've
got you all in bed."

Madge was already in her dressing-gown, and in spite of much entreaty
was not allowed to go.

So away went Walter full of importance, for the moment quite
forgetting where he was going. But scarcely had he got outside the
door when he remembered the dreadful tree, and fear took possession of
him.

How could he go? He would have to pass the elder-bush if he went all
round the path where they had walked with nurse. Dare he do it?

[Illustration:]

But if he went back the others would laugh at him and call him a baby.
He could not stand that. He was not a baby, but a boy who would one
day be a man and do great deeds. So he went on. Trying hard not to
think of the elder-bush, Walter went bravely along, looking for the
necklace. But still he could not help knowing that he was getting
nearer to the dreaded spot. O, if he could but see those pink beads he
would seize them and ru