"Well, why on earth didn't you say so," Grace demanded, "instead of
letting us wander on ahead?"

"Well, I wasn't sure," Mollie retorted. "And besides, I thought Betty
and Allen knew what they were doing----"

"Sh-h!" warned Mrs. Irving. "There's nothing to get excited about. We
all want to find the cave, and we are all going to do our best to find
it. Remember, we are equally interested."

"Well, but it's very strange that we can't locate that tree," said the
Little Captain, a troubled frown on her forehead. "Allen and I were so
particular about it yesterday."

"Well, we surely won't accomplish anything by standing here," said Will,
a shade impatiently. "Let's travel ahead a little--it seems to me it was
farther on."

So they started again, troubled and perplexed and scanning every step of
the way. Half an hour later they halted for another conference. The tree
was nowhere to be found--neither was the cave. It seemed as if their
adventure of the day before had been a dream which had faded and
vanished into thin air with the advent of the morning.

"Every place we look at seems to be it, and then it isn't," wailed Amy.

"That's fine English, I must say," Will teased. "Where did you go to
school?"

"Oh, for goodness' sake, let her English alone, Will!" Grace admonished.
"It isn't _that_ we're interested in just at present. Oh, where has the
old thing gone to?"

"I guess it never was," Roy replied gloomily. "We just imagined it."

"Imagined it!" sniffed Betty. "If I thought I had an imagination like
that I'd write books or something."

"I wish I knew what the something stood for," said Frank, laughing at
her. "It must be good."

"I imagine it would be," said Betty, laughing back at him, "if I only
knew myself."

"Stop fooling, you two, and help us think of something," Mollie
demanded. "We can't stand here and admire the view all day."

"What would you suggest?" Frank asked politely. "We are willing to give
weighty consideration to anything you say."

Mollie looked weakly about her for support. "Grace, can't you do
anything with him?" she pleaded. "He does nothing but talk nonsense all
day long."

"And just after he's paid you a compliment," Grace drawled. "I wonder
you call that nonsense."

Mollie had opened her mouth for a stinging rejoinder, but before she
could voice it there came a disturbance from a new and unexpected
quarter. The bushes parted and two figures emerged--a young man and a
girl