back at her warningly.

It was a strange thing and strangely made, this remote little shelter in
the woods. It probably had some sort of framework of wood inside, but all
the girls could see from the outside was a rude structure entirely
covered by moss and interwoven twigs. In fact, unless one looked closely,
one might think that the little hut was no hut at all, but part of the
foliage itself.

The girls could find no windows, but as they moved cautiously around the
hut Billie came upon a small door. The latter was hardly more than four
feet high, and the girls would have to stoop considerably to get through
it.

"For goodness sake, open it, Billie," Laura whispered close in her ear.
"It's beginning to pour pitchforks and I'm getting soaking wet. I don't
care if a hyena lives in there, I'm going in too."

Billie wanted to laugh, but she was too wet and nervous. So she opened
the little door cautiously and peered inside.

For a minute she could not tell whether the hut was empty or not, for it
was very very dark. But as her eyes became accustomed to the darkness she
felt sure that the place was empty.

"Come on," she called over her shoulder to the girls, her voice still
cautiously lowered. "I can't see very well, but I guess there's nobody at
home."

The girls had to stoop almost double to enter the tiny door, but once
inside they were surprised to find that they could stand upright.

They were in almost entire darkness, the only patch of light coming from
the little door that Vi had left open. Suddenly they began to feel
panicky again.

"If we could only get a light," whispered Vi.

"Goodness, listen to the child," said Laura scornfully. "She wants all
the comforts of home--ouch!" Her toe had come in contact with something
hard.

"What's the matter?" cried Billie startled.

"Matter enough," moaned Laura. "I've broken my toe!"

"Oh well, if that's all," said Billie, but Laura began to laugh
hysterically.

"Oh yes, that's all," she cried. "I only wish it had happened to you,
Billie Bradley!"

If all wishes could be fulfilled as quickly as that of Laura's there
would be few unsatisfied people in the world, for before it was out of
her mouth Billie uttered a sharp cry of pain, and, lifting a smarting
ankle in her hand, began to rub it gently.

"Did you do it, too?" cried Laura joyfully, adding with a good imitation
of Billie: "Oh well, if that's all--"

"Oh for goodness sake, keep still," cried Bil