164 • 
A STRANGE SOUND. 
quickened their steps and soon rejoined 
their companions. Just a moment before 
they came in sight of the noisy party, Sid¬ 
ney paused:— 
“ Dave, we won’t tell them what we have 
heard. It will scare the girls and make a 
fuss, if they believe it; and if they don’t 
they will only laugh. We will tell Mr. 
Crediton if we get a chance.” 
David agreed. There was a general in¬ 
quiry as to what had kept them so long. 
“ We found it farther than we expected,” 
said David, quietly. 
Mr. Crediton’s quick eye saw that there 
was something amiss and that the boys 
wished to speak to him; and he contrived, 
while the girls were putting the finishing- 
touches to their arrangements, to draw them 
a little on one side. David gave an account 
of what they had heard, adding, “ Sidney 
thought we had better not tell the others.” 
“ Quite right; quite right,” said Mr. Credi¬ 
ton. “ Are you sure it was not an owl or 
some other bird ?” 
“Quite sure,” replied David. “You 
know I have been in the woods a great 
deal; and I never heard any thing like it.” 
