"I don't think we'd better go home that way, Helen."

"Why not? Mr. Bassett won't care--and it's the nearest way to the
road."

"But he's got a sign up--and his cattle run in this pasture," said
Ruth Fielding, who, with her chum, Helen Cameron, and Helen's twin
brother, Tom, had been skating on the Lumano River, where the ice was
smooth below the mouth of the creek which emptied into the larger
stream near the Red Mill.

"Aw, come on, Ruthie!" cried Tom, stamping his feet to restore
circulation.

The ground was hard and the ice was thick on the river; but the
early snows that had fallen were gone. It was the day after
Christmas, and Helen and Ruth had been at home from school at
Briarwood Hall less than a week. Tom, too, who attended the Military
Academy at Seven Oaks, was home for the winter holidays. It was
snapping cold weather, but the sun had been bright this day and for
three hours or more the friends had enjoyed themselves on the ice.

"Surely Hiram Bassett hasn't turned his cows out in this weather,"
laughed Helen.

"But maybe he has turned out his bull," said Ruth. "You know how
ugly that creature is. And there's the sign."

"I declare! you do beat Peter!" ejaculated Tom, shrugging his