"Why not burn her," put in Nora, who was afraid of nothing and had often looked at the scolding teacher with such cold, laughing eyes, that even Miss Leece was disconcerted. "Good!" cried several of the others. "We will take her down below the bridge and burn her as a witch." No one objected to this, since the ashes of the effigy would tell no tales. Once more they started singing: "Merrily we roll along!" as they marched out of the village, crossed the bridge over the little river and finally paused on the bank below. "Plant the pole in deep," said David, "so she won't topple, and fix her up to suit yourselves, girls, while we get the fagots." The boys began to search about for dried sticks and twigs, while the girls were arranging the figure for her funeral pyre. Suddenly, there was a wild war whoop. A crowd of boys dashed out of a thicket near by, each one carrying a lighted Jack-o'-lantern on top of a pole, and surrounded the effigy of the teacher. "Help!" cried the girls, trying to defend the absurd thing from the attack, but they were too late. One of the boys seized the pole and rushed off in the darkness. Miss Leece, in effigy, had been kidnapped in an instant, before David and his friends had had time to realize what had happened. "Which way did they go?" he asked breathlessly. "Through the thicket," cried Grace. And the whole crowd dashed after the kidnappers. It was great fun for everybody except Anne, who was too tired to keep up the chase for long, and was soon lagging behind the others. David saw her and turned back. "You are too little for all this junketing, Anne," he said kindly. "Suppose I take you home? Shall I?" "I wish you would, David," answered the girl. "I'm just about ready to drop, I'm so tired." Taking her arm, he helped her over the ruts and rough places, until they finally emerged from the wood and started on the road to town. There were many other Hallowe'en parties out that night; singing and laughing was heard in every direction. "It's like a play," said Anne, "only everything is behind the scenes. Don't think I haven't enjoyed it, David, just because I got tired. I never played with boys and girls of my own age before. What fun it is!" "Isn't it?" replied the young man, "I love to get out, once in a while, and have a good time like this. I find I can work all the better after it's over." Presently the others caught up with them, breathless and laughing. "Miss Leece is stolen," cried Grace, "before ever she was hanged or burned. I do wonder what they'll do with her." "Oh, leave her in the woods," responded Reddy, "to scare the birds away." "Good night, Anne," continued Grace. "David will take you home. We go this way. Don't be frightened about to-morrow. I doubt if she says anything; and if she does, we are all implicated." The young people separated, still singing and laughing; never dreaming of the storm brewing from their evening's prank.