"Well, there's nothing more we can do now," said Frank practically. "Let's
go back and finish our lunch. Probably," he added, as they thoughtfully
retraced their steps, "he took the wagon road for fear of running into one
of you girls."

"Big coward!" cried Betty, with clenched hands. "I wish I had been with
you, Grace, we might have stopped him."

The boys shouted.

"Such a chance!" crowed Roy, but Betty turned on them with flashing eyes.

"Well, we might at least have tried," she cried hotly. "That is more than
you boys would have done. You don't seem to be even interested," she
continued indignantly. "If I were a man in uniform I'd show that coward
that he can't knock old helpless women down and then run away. I'd show
him that in insulting an old woman he was insulting the whole United
States army--"

"Hurrah!" cried Will irrepressibly, jumping to his feet. "Now you're
talking, Betty. How about it, fellows? Shall we do as she says?"

"You bet we will!" they cried, and at the ring in their voices, even
Betty's ardent little heart was satisfied.




CHAPTER VII