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246 Mr. Lufton. If he is coming at all he ought to be here now," said Isabel.

"I have only three or four left in my box," said Mr. Lufton. "I think you had better not make me look every five minutes. It can do no good, and it will not be safe to be without the means of striking a light in case of the worst."

It seemed a long time after Mr. Lufton had expended the last match he dared, which showed that Allan had been gone for nearly three hours, before the girls heard the tramp of hoofs in the silence, and both of them had been worked up to a great pitch of excitement and alarm.

"I hope you have been keeping up the girls' spirits, Mr. Lufton," said Allan, when he had reached the camping-place, "for I have been longer than I expected. My own horse was tired, and this one felt aggrieved at being taken out at night, and I could not get him to go half so fast as I expected." .

"We thought you had missed the tracks," said Amy, "and were very much afraid about you."

"We have been very miserable," said Isabel, "and as dull as we could be."

"I am surprised at that, when I left you in such good keeping. I thought girls could not be dull in Mr. Lufton's company," said Allan.