“My!” exclaimed Mollie, as they bowled along over the smooth road, under a young moon that silvered the earth, “this is better than walking!”

“I should say so,” agreed Grace, whose shoes hurt her more than she cared to admit.

“You are both traitors to the Club!” exclaimed Betty.  “The idea of preferring riding to walking!”

“Oh, it’s only once in a while,” added Mollie.  “Really, pet, we’ve had a perfectly grand time.”

“Even with the dog,” added Amy, who was now herself again.  “I was silly to run.”

“I don’t blame you,” said the farmer, “and yet if you hadn’t, maybe Nero wouldn’t have chased you.  It’s a good thing not to run from a dog.  If you stand, it let’s him see you’re not afraid.”

“Put that down in your books, girls,” directed Betty.  “Never run from a dog.  That advice may come in useful on our trip.”

Half an hour later they were at Mrs. Palmer’s house, and received a hearty welcome, the telephone message having done much to relieve the lady’s anxiety.

CHAPTER XIII

THE MISSING LUNCH

“Oh, but these shoes are so comfortable!”

“I’m glad of that, Grace.”

“Though I didn’t really delay you much; did I?”

“No, I wasn’t complaining,” and Betty put a caressing hand on the arm of her companion.

“We’ll be able to make up for lost time now,” said Mollie, as she shifted her little valise from one hand to the other.  “Your aunt was certainly generous in the matter of lunch, Betty,” she went on.

“Yes, she said this country air would give us good appetites.”

“I’m sure I don’t need any,” spoke Amy.  “I’ve been hungry ever since we started.”

The four girls were again on the broad highway that was splashed and spotted with the streaks of the early sun as it slanted through the elms and maples along the road.  They had spent two nights at the home of Betty’s aunt, that lady having insisted on a little longer visit than was at first planned.  She made the girls royally welcome, as did her husband.  Grace’s shoes had been sent to her at Rockford, having been telephoned for.

“But if we stay another day and night here,” said Betty, “not that we’re not glad to, Aunt Sallie—­why we can’t keep up to our schedule in walking, and we must cover so many miles each day.”

“You see it’s in the constitution of our club,” added Grace.  “We can’t violate that.”

“Oh, come now!” insisted Mr. Palmer.  “You can stay longer just as well as not.  As for walking, why we’ve got some of the finest walks going, right around Rockford here.  You’d better stay.  We don’t very often see you, Betty, and your aunt isn’t half talked out yet,” and he solemnly winked over the head of his wife.

“The idea!” she exclaimed.  “As if I’d talked half as much as you had.”

And so the girls had remained.  They had greatly enjoyed the visit.  In anticipation of their coming Mrs. Palmer had prepared “enough for a regiment of hungry boys,” to quote her husband, and had invited a number of the neighboring young people to meet the members of the Camping and Tramping Club.