"God sent you!" said Noel stolidly.
"Did He now? How do you know that, little chap?"
"Oh, Noel believes God hears everything he says to Him," said Inez, "and I'm beginning to believe it, too. I'm going to start proper prayers when I get home. Not the silly things I was taught to say when I was a baby. I gave those up long ago."
"And where do you young people hail from?" asked their rescuer.
"We lost our way in the wood. We're all having a picnic there. Do take us back."
"But I don't know my way about. I'm only a stray loafer, staying at the Hall."
"But you can help us to find the uvvers," said Noel; "Mums will be so glad to see us. We've been lost for years!"
The young man laughed again, but he walked with them across the field towards the wood, and then in the distance they caught sight of the vicar. He gave a loud shout when he saw them, and when they came up to him he said:
"Oh, you truants! We've been scouring the wood for you. Come along. Why, Captain Melton, are you the one who has found them?"
"He's God's man!" said Noel eagerly: "the second God's man I've seen lately. God sent him to us."