Addison, Halstead and I had been up in Lot 32 that day with the old Squire, making an estimate of timber, and we did not reach home until after dark. Grandmother met us with the news that the girls had gone to Dunham's open for partridge-berry vines, and had not returned. She was very uneasy about them; but we were hungry and, grumbling a little that the girls could not come home at night as they were expected to, sat down to supper. "I am afraid they've lost their way," grandmother said, after a few minutes. "It's going to be very cold. You must go to look for them!" And the old Squire agreed with her. Just as we finished supper Thomas Edwards, Kate's brother, came in with a lantern, to ask whether Kate was there; and without much further delay we four boys set off. Addison took his gun and Halstead another lantern. We were not much worried about the girls; indeed, we expected to meet them on their way home. When we reached Dunham's open, however, and got no answer to our shouts, we became anxious. At last we found their tracks leading up the winter road to Adger's camp, and we hurried along the old trail. We had not gone more than half a mile when Tom, who was ahead, suddenly cried, "Hark! I heard some one calling!" We stopped to listen; and after a moment or two we all heard a distant cry. "That's Kate!" Tom muttered. "Something's the matter with them, sure!" We started to run, but soon heard the same cry again, followed by indistinct words. "What's the matter?" Tom shouted. Again we heard their calls, but could not make out what they were trying to say. We were pretty sure now that the girls were at the old lumber camp; and hastening on to the top of the ridge that sloped down toward the brook, we all shouted loudly. Immediately a reply came back in hasty, anxious tones: "Take care! There's a mad fox down here!" "A what?" Addison cried. "A fox that has run mad!" Kate repeated. "Where is he?" Halstead cried. "Running round in the thickets," Kate answered. "Look out, boys, or he'll bite you. That's the reason we didn't come home. We didn't dare leave the camp." This was such a new kind of danger that for a few moments we were at a loss how to meet it. Tom looked about for a club. "It's only a fox," he said. "I guess we can knock him over before he can bite us." He and Addison went ahead with the club and the gun; Halstead and I, following close behind, held the lanterns high so that they could see what was in front of them. In this manner we moved down the brushy slope to the camp. The girls, who were peering out of the door, were certainly glad to see us. "But where's your 'mad' fox?" we asked. "He's round here somewhere. He really is," Kate protested earnestly. "We heard him only a little while ago."