anted. With a quick, twisting motion she
slipped out of the other girl's grip, and the next moment she was
running as hard as she could to the back of the camp, where, if she
could only get a good start, she would find herself in thick woods and
so safe from pursuit.

She knew Dolly had recognized her at once. But neither had called the
other's name, since that would enable whoever heard them to know which
of the Camp Fire Girls was responsible for this sudden attack.

As she ran Bessie could bear Dolly in front of her, and she knew that
Dolly must be able to hear her. Otherwise she was sure her chum would
have turned back to rescue her. Behind her the screams of the
frightened girls from the boathouse were still rising, but when Bessie
stopped in ten minutes, she could hear no signs of pursuit.

"Dolly!" she cried. "It's all right to stop now. They're not chasing
us any more."

Dolly stopped and waited for her, and when she came up Bessie saw at
once that Dolly was angry--and at her.

"Much good it did you to try to stop me, didn't it?" said Dolly,
viciously. "You got there too late!"

"I didn't try to stop you, and I was right behind you all the time!"
said Bessie, angrily. "I was behind you so that if you got into any
trouble I'd be there to help you--and I was. You're very grateful,
aren't you?"

"Oh, Bessie, I am sorry! I might have known you wouldn't do anything
sneaky. And you certainly did help me! I was going to thank you for
that anyhow, as soon as I'd scolded you. But I knew you didn't want to
try to get even with them, and I supposed, of course, that you were
there to stop me."

Suddenly she began to laugh, and sat down weakly on the ground.

"Did you hear them yell?" she gasped. "Listen to them! They're still
at it!"

"Whatever did you do to them, Dolly? I never heard such a noise in my
life! You'd think they really had something to be afraid of."

"Yes, wouldn't you? Instead of just a basket full of poor, innocent
little mice that were a lot more frightened than they were!"

"Dolly Ransom!" gasped Bessie. "Do you mean to say that's what you
did?"

Bessie tried hard to be shocked, but the fun of it overcame her of a
sudden, and she joined Dolly on the ground, while they clung to one
another and rocked with laughter.

"I wasn't able to stop and watch them. That's all I'm sorry for now,"
said Dolly, weakly. "But hearing them was pretty nearly as fine,
wasn't it?"

"Ne