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Johnny was bemoaning that strawberries were over, and Madge was looking vainly for gooseberries on the trees that had long ago been stripped.  But Walter cast furtive glances at the thick elder-bush by the wall, and shivered a little inside when he thought of what Sydney had told him about it.

Directly after that they went indoors to have supper and go to bed.  As they were undressing it was discovered that Madge had lost a coral necklace she had on.  It was a fancy of her mother’s that Madge should always wear this, as it was a present from a dead godmother, and the question now was where it had been dropped.

“She had it on at the gooseberry-bushes,” said Walter, “for I saw it.”

Nurse was just then undressing Johnny.

“You can run down the garden and look for it, Master Walter,” said she.  “It gets dark so fast I shan’t be able to see by the time I’ve got you all in bed.”

Madge was already in her dressing-gown, and in spite of much entreaty was not allowed to go.

So away went Walter full of importance, for the moment quite forgetting where he was going.  But scarcely had he got outside the door when he remembered the dreadful tree, and fear took possession of him.

How could he go?  He would have to pass the elder-bush if he went all round the path where they had walked with nurse.  Dare he do it?

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But if he went back the others would laugh at him and call him a baby.  He could not stand that.  He was not a baby, but a boy who would one day be a man and do great deeds.  So he went on.  Trying hard not to think of the elder-bush, Walter went bravely along, looking for the necklace.  But still he could not help knowing that he was getting nearer to the dreaded spot.  O, if he could but see those pink beads he would seize them and run!

He saw them at last, when he had nearly reached the tree.  With mingled joy and fear he took a step forward and stopped to pick up the necklace when suddenly there was a rustling sound among the elder-branches and a hand reached out to part them, a hand belonging to a white figure.  That was all Walter knew.  With a cry of terror he rushed forward, not looking where he was going.  Then he tripped and fell, and lay quite still.  He was still unconscious when, an hour later, Sydney’s mother bent over him anxiously.  He had struck his head on the stones bordering the path, and there was waiting till the doctor came to know the extent of the injury.

Nurse told how the little boy had gone to look for Madge’s necklace, and cook explained how she had been gathering elder-berries to make wine and, hearing footsteps, had come out from the thick branches.  Just as she saw Master Walter he gave a scream and ran away as if frightened.  But what could have terrified him she could not think.

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Sydney looked at his mother’s distressed face and at the little figure lying on the bed. He knew what had made Walter afraid, and he did not like afterwards to think of what he felt during the half-hour before the doctor came.