166 . 
THE RETURN. 
home before sunset. As soon as tea was 
over they took up the line of march for 
home, Mr. Crediton sending the oldest 
boys in front and himself bringing up the 
rear. He did not exactly believe that the 
suspicions of the boys were correct: still, he 
could not help acknowledging to himself 
that they were not impossible; and he drew a 
long sigh of relief when at last they emerged 
from the woods, now growing dark and 
gloomy, as the sun went down, and found 
themselves in the open meadows. Home 
was soon reached. The children bade good¬ 
night to the minister and to each other, 
and most of them were soon asleep. Sid¬ 
ney privately mentioned his adventure to 
his grandfather when he got home. Mr. 
Winston was rather inclined to laugh at the 
idea, but allowed that it was possible, and 
praised the boy’s discretion and firmness; 
and Sidney went to bed quite happy and 
too tired even to dream. If he could have 
cast a glance into the recess where they 
had taken their supper, he might have seen 
a large and graceful animal, about as tall 
as his pointer, but not so heavy, come cau¬ 
tiously down the rocks, often pausing to 
