Nick Budd, plunging on in the snow ahead of the young folks, hardly once
turned his head to look back. Evidently he had made this trip often and
was used to wading through snow half-way to his waist, for he went so
swiftly that Teddy was winded and Billie pretty nearly worn out when
they at last reached the road.
Oh, but what a relief it was to step out on its hard, crusty firmness
after the yielding depth of the snow in the field!
Then Nick Budd turned and addressed them for the first time since they
had left the cave behind them.
"This here is the road thet leads to Three Towers," he told them,
evidently in a sullen mood again. "Jest foller straight and ye'll git
thar." And before either Teddy or Billie had a chance to thank him he
turned back without another word and started to retrace his steps
through the heavy snow, leaving the two standing in the middle of the
road staring after him.
Then Billie turned wonderingly to the boy.
"Teddy, isn't he the queerest thing?" she breathed.
Teddy nodded.
"He sure is," he said, soberly, adding slowly: "I'm just wondering what
made him so afraid that we were going to put him in prison. He was
scared almost to death until we told him why we had come."
"But he's a simpleton," Billie pointed out. "Poor thing, I don't suppose
you could count on anything he says or does. People who aren't 'all
there' have moods, don't they?"
"Is that why you act so funny sometimes?" asked Teddy with a grin, and
Billie pouted most becomingly.
"I think you're horrid," she said, while Teddy's grin became still
wider. "Come on, let's get back. I'm freezing to death. Don't stand
there grinning like an ape," she commanded, with an impatient stamp of
her foot. "You look silly."
"Like Nick Budd?" asked Teddy good-naturedly, and Billie had to smile.
"Look here," he added, jerking the sled toward him and motioning to
Billie to sit on it. "We can get back much more quickly if you let me
pull you. Get aboard, Miss Billie, and I'll give you a regular
sleighride."
"Oh fine!" cried Billie, as she settled herself comfortably on the big
sled. "Only I'm 'fraid its rather a long pull, Teddy. You may get
tired."
"Just watch me!" cried the boy, and galloped off at a great rate, the
sled, with Billie clinging wildly to it, bumping and swaying over the
hard and rough road.
Meantime the other boys and girls had been considerably alarmed by
Teddy's and Billie's abrupt disappearance. At first they had supposed
that the two were simply playing a trick on them and would appear when
they got good and ready.
But as time passed and nothing happened they became worried, and even
began to talk about a search party.
"Though how they could have got lost, I don't know," Laura had said to
an agitated group. "They certainly know their way about here well
enough."
"Perhaps they got lost on purpose," said a nasal voice, and Billie's
chums turned indignantly to face the speaker. It was Amanda, of course,
and beside her, so close as to have earned her the title of Amanda's
"Shadow," stood her friend and crony, Eliza Dilks.
Laura was about to retort furiously when Billie's brother Chet pushed
her aside and faced Amanda.
"If you were a boy, I'd know what to do to you for saying a thing like
that," cried the boy, such fury in his face that Amanda was frightened.
"But since you're a girl I'll just tell you to lay off that line of
talk. Billie Bradley is my sister." As Chet said the last words proudly
there was many a girl present who would have been glad to own a brother
as loyal as Chet Bradley.
As Amanda muttered something to herself and turned away angrily the boys
and girls returned to the discussion of Billie's and Teddy's mysterious
absence.
"I think," suggested Paul Martinson, his face looking extremely worried,
"that we had better search through the woods thoroughly in case they are
lost. Something must have happened to them to keep them away this long."
He had no sooner made the suggestion than it was carried into effect,
and the girls and boys scattered through the woods in search of the two
who had disappeared.
They returned in a little while, however, dispirited and more anxious
than ever. There was an attempt to go on with the fun in the hope that
Teddy and Billie would return in a little while to laugh at their fears,
but it was no use. The fun lagged, and finally the girls broke up the
party altogether by declaring their intention of going back to the
school.
"Billie may be at the Hall now for all we know," Connie said hopefully,
as they started back along the road. "She may have been cold or
something and asked Teddy to take her home."
"Humph," sniffed Laura, "that sounds a lot like Billie."
Nevertheless they did hope that, foolish as it sounded, Billie had
returned to the Hall before them. But when they reached there and found
no sign of either her or Teddy they were puzzled and more worried than
ever.
The boys had gone on toward the Academy, and there was not one of them
who was not disturbed in his mind. Teddy was as popular at the Academy
as Billie was at the Hall, and, besides, Billie was a general favorite
with all the lads.
"I'll wait a little while after I get back," Chet told them as they
tramped back silently, their sleds skidding along behind them, "and then
I'll call up the Hall. If Billie isn't back by then we'll have to notify
the police--or something."
And at the Hall her classmates had decided to wait a little while also
before they reported Billie's disappearance to Miss Walters.
Probably nothing serious had happened, they argued, and if Miss Walters
were notified Billie might have a lot of explaining to do that otherwise
she would be saved.
But as the minutes sped by and still no sign of Billie, they fidgeted
and squirmed and could set their minds to nothing.
Then suddenly Connie Danvers rushed into the dormitory, her eyes blazing
with wrath.
"What do you suppose?" she cried, while the girls gathered round her. "I
met Caroline Brant in the hall just now and she said that Amanda and the
'Shadow' were spreading the report that Billie and Teddy ran away on
purpose."
"Oh, the sneak! The wretched little sneak!" cried Laura, making a dash
for the door. But she stopped suddenly and ran back to Connie. "Has she
gone to Miss Walters with that report?" she asked, her hands working as
though she longed to get hold of Amanda.
"I don't think so," replied Connie. "She hasn't had time yet--Laura!
where are you going?" for Laura had started for the door again.
"To find Amanda, of course," Laura cried over her shoulder, as she flung
out of the room. "I'll see that she doesn't get to Miss Walters with
that report."
"She has the right idea, girls," said Vi excitedly. "We mustn't let
Amanda say such things about Billie. Why, if Miss Walters heard it, it
would be dreadful."
"Come on then," said Connie, adding recklessly: "We'll see that Amanda
doesn't squeal if we have to gag her."
They found Amanda and her "Shadow" haranguing a group of the younger
girls at the end of the hall on the first floor. Billie's champions,
coming upon the group suddenly, overheard the last of Amanda's speech.
"Of course her friends say that she didn't do it on purpose," the girl
was saying. "But I know she did, and I'm going straight to Miss Walters
and tell her about it."
Laura started toward the sneak, but she drew back so suddenly as nearly
to lose her balance and had to be steadied by the girls behind her.
For a familiar figure, hidden until that moment by the shadows about the
great entrance door, suddenly swung into the light and faced Amanda.
"Now, what you have said behind my back," rang out a clear voice, "you
can tell me to my face!"
"It's Billie," gasped Laura, in joyful relief. "Say, but she looks good
to me."
"Come on. I have a notion she may need a little help," said Connie, as
she made her way to Billie's side, causing the freshmen who had been
Amanda's audience to scatter in panic. Laura and Vi and several others
followed, but Billie did not seem to notice them.
Her eyes were still upon Amanda. The latter, taken by surprise, at first
looked about her for some means of escape. Then, seeing that she was
cornered, she straightened up defiantly and the usual sneer overspread
her mean features.
"Oh, all right," she said. "I'm not afraid to tell the truth if _you
are_. Did you and Teddy Jordon have a good time when you ran away
to-day?"
"It's false!" cried Billie furiously. "And I'll make you take it back!"
"What's this? What's this?" interrupted a cool voice behind them, and
Billie turned with tears of rage in her eyes to face Miss Arbuckle.
"Miss Arbuckle," she pleaded tensely, "make her take it back--what she
said about me. It isn't true! Oh, it isn't true!"