“Goose,” remarked Mollie.  “Of course I wasn’t thinking of Diana’s beauty.  I was merely thinking of her in the role of a fair huntress.”

“Goodness, now she is insulting us!” cried Betty, turning upon her friend with a melodramatic frown.  “Do you mean to imply that one or all of us are huntresses?”

“Not of men,” said Mollie scathingly.  “That shows a guilty conscience, Betty.  I’m surprised at you.”

“O-oh!  Squelched!” said Betty meekly.  “May I ask,” she added very humbly, “just what you did mean?”

“I simply meant,” explained Mollie patiently, “that we were after two men—­”

“Oh!” cried Amy, turning upon her in horror.  “And you just told Betty you didn’t mean that!”

“I didn’t,” cried the badgered Mollie in desperation, then turned away in disgust.  “There’s no use trying to tell you anything,” she said.

“Go ahead, Mollie dear,” urged Betty.

“I meant,” Mollie continued slightly, but only slightly, mollified, “that we were hunting two men—­Mrs. Sanderson’s Willie and the motorcyclist who ran her down.  And we haven’t any more real chance of finding them than—­”

“A celluloid dog has chasing an asbestos cat in—­” began Grace.

“That will do,” cried Betty primly, though her eyes danced.  “After this, you will kindly answer when you are spoken to, Miss Ford, and at no other time.”

“Oh, is that so?” mocked Grace.  “Well, I’ll just tell you, Miss Nelson, that although I am extremely fond of you—­mistaken as that may be—­I will take no dictation from you or any one else.”

“I’ll give you more than dictation, if you don’t stop maundering,” threatened Mollie.  “A girl has about as much chance of saying anything sensible—­”

“Did you ever try?” queried Grace innocently, and Betty and Amy had to form a human barrier between the two enemies.

“Goodness, please don’t kill her, Mollie,” begged the Little Captain, her eyes twinkling.  “Not till after breakfast, anyway.  I want to give you a chance to think it over.”

“Yes, they’re punishing murderers terribly,” added Amy.  “I heard Major Adams say—­”

“All right,” Mollie agreed, “I’ll let her off until after breakfast, but for one reason and one only—­”

“And that?” they queried breathlessly.

“I’ll be stronger then!” she said.

CHAPTER XI

POLITE KIDNAPPERS

But it seems that breakfast “hath charms to sooth the savage breast,” for after Mollie had attacked and conquered the appetizing fruit and cereal, ham and eggs, she seemed to forget all about her dire threat and smiled amiably at her intended victim across the table.

“How long will it take you to get ready, Grace?” she inquired.  “Can you do it while Betty and I go around to the garage and back out the car?”

“Let Amy help you with the car this time,” Betty objected before Grace could reply.  “I want to ask Mrs. Sanderson to go with us.”