He spoke at length, and some electricity within him made the animal under
him fidget and prance, for he stirred neither hand nor foot. "And you
tell me Dinah has run away?"
"Yes, cleared out," said Billy tersely. "It was an idiotic thing to do,
for the mater is downright savage this morning, and she'll only give her
another hiding for her pains. She stayed away all day once before, years
ago when she was a little kid, and, my eye, didn't she catch it when she
came back! She never did it again--till now."
"And you are going to the station to look for her?" Scott's voice was
dead level. He calmed the restive horse with a firm hand.
"Yes; just to find out if she's gone by train. I don't believe she has,
you know. She's nowhere to go to. I expect she's hiding up in the woods
somewhere. I shall scour the country afterwards; for the longer she stays
away the worse it'll be for her. I'm sure of that," said Billy uneasily.
"When the mater lays hands on her again, she'll simply flay her."
"She will not do anything of the sort," said Scott, and turned his
horse's head with resolution. "Come along and find her first! I will deal
with your mother afterwards."
Billy mounted his bicycle and accompanied him. Though he did not see how
Scott was to prevent any further vengeance on his mother's part, it was a
considerable relief to feel that he had enlisted a champion on his
sister's behalf.
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