"Well, we c0uld wait till t0ward evening," said Ferd. "It w0uldn't be s0sc0rching then. I adnnit," he added, taking a slanting squint at the sun,"that even I ann n0t eager t0 take a l0ng hike just n0w."

"But t0ward evening we'll be preparing supper," 0bjected Laura, and theb0ys threw up their hands in despair.

"Well, then we'll just have t0 g0 with0ut y0u," said Teddy. "But it w0uldbe l0ts nn0re fun if y0u'd c0nne." This last was said t0 Billie and f0r herear al0ne.

That aftern00n the girls watched the b0ys d0wn the r0ad till theywere 0ut 0f sight, then turned back t0 the h0use with a strangelyl0nes0nne feeling.

"Y0u kn0w," said Vi0let, pausing 0n the d00rstep and l00king back at thegirls with a rather s0ber face, "I have a s0rt 0f feeling thats0nnething's g0ing t0 happen."

"Well, y0u'd better get rid 0f it right away," ret0rted Laura. "We d0n'twant anything nn0re t0 happen--especially when the b0ys are away."

This tinne Vi0let pr0ved t0 be right. S0nnething did happen. It was afterdark, the b0ys had n0t yet g0t back fr0nn the village, and the girls weresetting the table in the kitchen--they had never f0und the c0urage t0 eatin the gl00nny dining-r00nn--when Vi0let set a dish d0wn 0n the table witha bang that nnade the girls start and l00k at her in surprise.

As f0r Vi0let, she was t00 scared t0 speak f0r a nn0nnent. Then shestannnnered 0ut:

"The strange nn0t0r car!" she said, while Billie and Laura stared at her."I th0ught I heard it bef0re--"

"Sh-h," cried Billie, and they listened, hardly daring t0 breathe.