attention to his entreaties, and while
two of their number rifled his pockets, the others, lighting a couple of
lanterns they had brought with them, followed their leader on a tramp
through the house, with much noise and deep growling. On the return of
the latter, the pocket-searchers presented the captain with half a stick
of peppermint candy, a penknife, a dime, a small book (_The Language of
Flowers_), and some violets wrapped in a handkerchief.

"Prisoner," said the captain, sternly--that is, as sternly as the pebble
he had under his tongue would allow--"if you make an attempt to escape,
the consequences be on your own head. Right about face! March!"

And away they went, dragging poor Lady Harriet, begging and imploring to
be set free, with them.

"Did you ever see any fellow so scared in all your life?" whispered
Charley Bennet to Hen Rowe, as their victim began to cry and scream.

"Never," said Rowe. "I begin to feel sorry for him. But what a baby he
is! Why don't he break and run? He can make good time with those long
legs when he's a mind to."

"Halt!" cried the captain, when they reached the cedar woods. "This has
gone quite far enough. We want no cowards among us. Boy, you are--" And
the mouths of his followers simultaneously opened for a tremendous
shout, when--

"I perfectly agree with you," interrupted the prisoner, quickly,
wresting himself at the same time with a dexterous movement from the
grasp of the two boys who had held him; and then he went on in his usual
soft voice and slow way: "I mean this joke's gone quite far enough. You
came half an hour or so before I expected you, but I think we've all
acted our parts first-rate. Good-evening, Captain Morningstar.
Good-evening, desperadoes. Farewell, April-fools." And he turned and
walked leisurely toward his home again.

"Jiminy!" exclaimed Ned Morningstar, snatching off his mask and pulling
a long face. "Somebody has--"

"Blundered," said Hen Rowe.

"Fools to the right of me,
Fools to the left of me,
Fools ev'ry side of me--
Oh, how they wondered!

"what's the use of being glum about it. I've an idea it serves us right.
Three cheers for Lady Harriet. He's not such a fool as he looks."

"As we look, I think," said Roy Wheeler.

And then, like the jolly boys they really were, they gave the cheers
with a will, and followed them up with a roar of laughter that wakened
all the echoes for miles around.

GENERAL SCHUYLER AND THE