been raided during the night, and all the provisions
stolen. The canteen matron and the cook were in despair, as nothing
was left for breakfast, and the workers would have gone hungry, had
not a deputation of them visited the farm, and begged sufficient
bread and jam to provide a meal.

"A lovely ham gone, and four pounds of butter, and a joint of cold
beef, and all the bread!" mourned the distracted matron. "I shall have
to go in to Ledcombe again this morning for fresh supplies, and I
believe Mr. Cox wants the pony himself."

"We ought to be able to track the thieves," said Miss Gibbs firmly.
"There should be an inspection at lunch-time, and anyone seen eating
ham should be under suspicion."

"They'd be far too clever to eat it publicly," objected Miss Hoyle,
the lady journalist. "Gipsies are an uncommonly tricky set. They
probably had a midnight feast, and finished the last crumb of our
provisions before daybreak. We shall get no satisfaction from Mr. Cox.
He'll say he's not responsible."

"Then we must take precautions that it doesn't happen again," decreed
Miss Gibbs. "Isn't it possible to procure a lock-up meat safe? I never
heard of a camp being without one."

"Perhaps you haven't had much experience," remarked the canteen matron
icily. She thought Miss Gibbs "bossy" and interfering, and considered
that she knew her own business best, without suggestions from
outsiders.

The Grange girls chuckled inwardly to hear their teacher thus snubbed.
They hoped a retort and even a wrangle might follow; but Miss Gibbs
had too much common sense, and, restraining herself, stalked away with
as unconcerned an aspect as possible.

"Look here, old sport!" whispered Raymonde to Morvyth, "somebody ought
to take this matter up. I consider it's a job for us. Let's watch
to-night, and see if we can't catch the prowling sneaks. Are you
game?"

"Rather! It's a blossomy idea, only don't let Gibbie get wind of it."

"Do I ever go and tell Gibbie my jinky little plans? It's not this
child's usual way of proceeding."

Raymonde and Morvyth had intended to run this little expedition "on
their own," but in the end they were obliged to let the rest of the
tent into the secret, as it was impossible to go to bed fully dressed
without exciting comment. Their comrades refused to be left out, so it
was decided that all six, under Raymonde's leadership, should mount
guard over the larder. They drew their blankets up to their noses, and