Part 24 (1/2)

Fortunately this reoing away altogether, are they?' asked Tricksy, her eyes becoe with disainst his father, as co out the letter; 'the _Heroic_ has received unexpected orders, and they have to sail northithout delay No shore leave, so they take this opportunity of saying good-bye'

'A,' said Harry, Gerald, and Tricksy, while the others had difficulty in repressing an inclination to cheer

'When are they coain?' asked Gerald

'Next year, perhaps,' said Mr Stewart, s

The faces becaht,' said Harry in a dejected tone, going to the

'Is she?' said Gerald, looking out too; 'why, so she is'

'If you felloant to see her,' said Allan, 'why don't you go to the top of the hill? You'll get a first-class view from there'

Without a word the boys darted from the room and out at the front door, Harry with his bootlaces untied and flapping about his ankles, and Gerald without a hat In scra on the ground, but picked hi had happened

'Coot the'

Marjorie ran for her bridle and put it on Cheeky, as cropping grass by the stream

'Go on,' shouted Allan; 'don't wait for us, we'll soon catch you up

Let's go and catch Dewdrop and Daisy, Reggie; bicycles are no good for the moors'

In a short time Marjorie was overtaken by the two boys, perched upon bridleless, bare-backed ponies

The histled past as they galloped over the level ground, and they were aled their ponies up the slopes of the hill

'Oh, gee up, Daisy; gee-up!' cried Allan, 'we have no tiht,' he panted as they stood breathing their ponies on the su about and asking questions We've just got to get Neil out of there before anythingabout, watching for an opportunity to leave as soon as the _Heroic_ goes; and we must make Neil promise to leave with her'

The sturdy little ponies descended the slopes with the sure-footedness of cats; then sprang pluckily over the reater part of the peninsula

Suddenly, without warning, they beca, frole into safety until Marjorie's pony had lost a shoe

'Look out,' cried Allan, as they were about to spring forward once o down into the caves, and you don't see the their i the ponies by the bridle

'There,' said Marjorie as they neared the cliff, 'the tide's rising, and they're shaking out the sails on the sie

'No,' said Allan, 'the fewer the better You stay here with the ponies, and I'll go doith Marjorie'