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Rh store, anyhow!" laughed Fairlee Ormsbee, as the green coat hove in sight.

Bord Mathewson shook his head over Fairlee's contribution, and smiled at her in appreciation. He had made no comment, as yet, on the day's fiasco, but everybody knew that he was not enjoying the morning. Every time the splotch of green appeared around a curve, or at the crest of an ascent, and replied to the party's signal with a shrill hello, he looked disgusted. When he spoke at last, it was briefly and to the point. He had his watch in his hand and was looking at the place where the sun ought to be. The sky had gradually lost its blue.

"Look here," he said, "you can't carry out your plan at this rate." (They had all feared as much. They had been waiting for Miss Miller this time for fully three minutes.) "I'll take her back."

"Oh, no! Oh, not you, Bord! Surely not you!" half a dozen of the women's voices broke out. They always tried to save Bord Mathewson from acting as nurse to anybody.

But he wasn't to be dissuaded.

"I'll go," he cut them all off shortly. "That's settled. I'd hoped to climb to the summit after lunch, but it's too late for that now, anyhow. I'll take her back to that farmhouse we passed on