--they
were enjoying the sweets of undiscovered crime. Suddenly through the
clear autumnal air rang out the shrill, bubbling call of the regimental
whistle with which Miss Todd was wont, on country walks, to collect her
scattered flock. The two sinners jumped so uneasily that Wendy slipped
from a stone and splashed into a pool, with rather disastrous
consequences to her skirt.

"We'd best go back and find our boots," she said, hurriedly wringing the
water from the brown tweed.

They had not realized how far they had roamed up the stream, and the
length of the way back surprised them. It is not an easy matter to hurry
over slippery stones, though they made what speed they could, urged by
another summons from the whistle.

"I think this was the place," declared Diana, at last arriving at
landmarks that seemed familiar. "I left mine just over there."

Both girls sought their hiding-places, but, to their utter dismay, the
boots were missing. They searched about here, there, and everywhere, but
not so much as the tab of a lace could be found. Meanwhile the whistle
sounded impatient blasts.

"What _are_ we to do?" flustered Wendy. "Toddlekins will be furious if
we don't go; and yet how _can_ we go without our boots?"

"We must have mistaken the place," gasped Diana. "Perhaps it was farther
down."

"No, no! I'm certain it was just here."

"Well, we're in a pretty fix, at any rate."

"T-r-r-r-r-ee-ee!" came again from the fell side. To disobey the summons
deliberately was open mutiny. An agitated voice on the bank called to
them.

"Wendy and Diana, can't you hear the whistle? Come this instant!"

It was Stuart Hamilton, who stood beckoning violently.

"We've lost our boots," wailed Wendy.

"Then come without them. Miss Todd has sent me to find you. Hurry up!"

It was a scratchy and painful performance to hurry through heather and
over sharp stones to the spot where the school was assembled. Miss Todd
stood staring at them as they approached, with her "report yourself in
my study" expression. They felt their bare legs and feet most
embarrassingly conspicuous, and wished that fickle fashion had clothed
them in longer skirts.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked the Principal, eyeing their
uncovered extremities severely.

"We've--we've--lost our boots," stammered Diana, speaking for both.

"And why were your boots taken off? You were aware of the rule, for I
happen to know that you had just been reminded of