obey. Just step over there a foot or two!"

There was such authority in her voice that the boy looked up
frightened.

"Don't hit me," he pleaded, "and I'll go!"

This was more than Dorothy expected, and as the lad moved to obey, she
raised, with her foot, the rope he had dropped with his disguise, and
grasped it in her hand with the riding crop.

"You see school girls learn a lot about 'team work,'" she said. "We
have to do it in all sorts of games."

"What are you going to do with me?" asked the boy, who actually seemed
more interested than frightened.

"Well, first I am going to make you secure. See, I just slip this rope
around you--you had it all ready with that slip knot," and she put it
over his head before he had a chance to protest. It fell over his
hands, and she pulled the cord tight. Then, as he was standing near
the tree, she dropped the rope to his feet, gave it a jerk, and
springing around the tree she had him secure with two turns of the
hemp, and a knot made after the style of one Nat had showed her how to
fashion.

The boy burst out laughing.

"You're all right!" he declared. "You beat me! Where did you learn?"