"Of course I mean it."

"You're plucky, all right," he said regarding her admiringly. "But I don't like to have a contest with girls."

"Why not? Are you afraid of them?" demanded Margery.

The boy flushed.

"No, ma'am. It isn't manly, that's all."

"You mean it wouldn't be manly to be beaten by girls, eh?" suggested Harriet.

"Well, yes, I suppose that's what I mean."

"Oh, very well. If you wish to back out, why, of course--"

"Back out? I guess not!" exclaimed Sam. "We'll walk your heads off, if you say the word."

"Oh, mercy, no," protested Harriet, laughingly. "I hope you will not do anything so terrible as that. You haven't said what the conditions are to be. We must have some rules if we are to have a hiking contest. They have rules even in a walking contest, I understand."

Captain Baker pondered a moment.

"I don't know about rules. I think it will have to be a go-as-you-please contest."

"We are willing to abide by whatever you say," replied Harriet.

"Where do you go to-morrow? I mean where do you make your next camp?"

Harriet consulted their map.

"We are going to try to make Hunt's Corners," she said, scrutinizing the map.

"May I see that map?" asked Davy.

"I don't think it would be quite fair," answered Harriet brightly. "You see, our route is marked out on the map. Were I to show it to you, you would know which way we are going. That would give you an advantage. I will show the map to you some other time."

"Of course it would be unfair. We don't want to see the map, Davy,"

rebuked George. "How far is it to Hunt's Corners?"

"Ten or twelve miles."

"Don't let that trouble you, boys. I'll be on hand with the car and I'll pick up the stragglers," interjected Jane, joining the group. She had been at work cleaning her car. Her face was smudged and her hands blackened. "If any of you get tired out I'll promise to take care of you."

"Thank you," answered the captain, flushing. His companions laughed at him.

"But, Captain," protested Harriet, "we haven't decided on anything. Is this to be a race for one day, or for all the way home? You go right through Meadow-Brook, do you not?"

"Yes. Just as you say. I don't think you can stand it to race all the way home."

"Perhaps not," answered Harriet dryly.

"No. The poor, delicate things," mourned Jane. "Just think how you are going to walk them to death. You boys should be ashamed of yourselves."

"I don't care if the girls don't," laughed George. "Yes. We'll walk you all the way in to Meadow-Brook. The party that gets in first must give the other side something. What'll it be?" asked George.

"I'll take marthhmallowth for mine," piped Tommy.

"That's it. A box of candy for each of you if you win. What do you say, fellows?" questioned George, appealing to his companions.

They nodded, smiling acquiescence.

"Suppose we give each of you a handkerchief if you win," smiled Harriet.

"It's a go," declared Captain George.

"Then I propose this. Each party is to go as it chooses. The one that gets in first wins," suggested Harriet.

"Are tricks barred?" demanded Sam.

"I don't know what you mean by tricks. Strategy isn't," returned Harriet.

"Whew! That's a big word," exclaimed Dill.

"Neither party is to ride, you know," spoke up George, eyeing them suspiciously.

"Certainly not," answered Harriet. "We shouldn't do such a dishonest thing."

"I beg your pardon. Of course not. You girls have a car and, perhaps, you might think it amusing to work a trick on us."

"Our Meadow-Brook Girls aren't that kind, Mr. Baker," interposed Miss Elting severely.

"Ride? You couldn't drag them into the car," declared Jane.

"By the way, young men, have you seen anything of two Italians and a bear?" asked Miss Elting.

"Yes. We met them two days ago," answered the captain. "Why?"

"We had some difficulty with them; that's all."

"I wish we had known that." The captain's lips compressed, a frown appearing on his forehead. "What did they do?"

Miss Elting told the boys the whole story. How the boys did laugh when the guardian described how Jane had chased the Italians about the field with her car!

"We will keep out of the road when you are abroad, Miss McCarthy," said George. "I don't believe you are a safe person to be allowed on the highway."

"You are right, she isn't," nodded Miss Elting. "Well, have you settled your plans for the contest?"

"All the plans we can make. We are to walk to Meadow-Brook. Neither party should actually walk more than ten hours a day--"