ening, he heard of the plan for
the morrow. But for answer Peter only growled, nearly hitting poor
Thistlefinch in his anger.

The children had just resolved to stay awake all night to talk about
the coming day, when their conversation suddenly ceased and they were
both peacefully slumbering. In her dreams Clara saw before her a field
that was thickly strewn with light-blue flowers, while Heidi heard the
eagle scream to her from above, "Come, come, come!"

XXII

SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS

The next day dawned cloudless and fair. The grandfather was still with
the children, when Peter came climbing up; his goats kept at a good
distance from him, to evade the rod, which was striking right and
left. The truth was that the boy was terribly embittered and angry by
the changes that had come. When he passed the hut in the morning,
Heidi was always busy with the strange child, and in the evening it
was the same. All summer long Heidi had not been up with him a single
time; it was too much! And to-day she was coming at last, but again in
company with this hateful stranger.

[Illustration: HE WATCHED HIS FALLEN ENEMY TUMBLING DOWNWARDS,
DOWNWARDS]

It was then that Peter noticed the rolling-chair standing near the
hut. After carefully glancing about him, he rushed at the hated
object and pushed it down the incline. The chair fairly flew away and
had soon disappeared.

Peter's conscience smote him now, and he raced up the Alp, not daring
to pause till he had reached a blackberry bush. There he could hide,
when the uncle might appear. Looking down, he watched his fallen enemy
tumbling downwards, downwards.

Sometimes it was thrown high up into the air, to crash down again the
next moment harder than ever. Pieces were falling from it right and
left, and were blown about. Now the stranger would have to travel home
and Heidi would be his again! But Peter had forgotten that a bad deed
always brings a punishment.

Heidi just now came out of the hut. The grandfather, with Clara,
followed. Heidi at first stood still, and then, running right and
left, she returned to the old man.

"What does this mean? Have you rolled the chair away Heidi?" he
asked.

"I am just looking for it everywhere, grandfather. You said it was
beside the shop door," said the child, still hunting for the missing
object. A strong wind was blowing, which at this moment violently
closed the shop-door.

"Grandfather, the wind has done it