CHAPTER X.
THE ADVENTURE OF THE "TURKEYS PIN."
The disappearance of Juliet Mitchell from Littlebourne Lock the second time did not surprise or frighten her relations nearly so much as her flight had done on the first occasion.
"Oh, she'll come home," said Mrs. Rowles; "never fear. When she is hungry she'll turn up, or someone will bring her."
But as the evening closed in, and neither meal-time nor bed-time brought the wanderer home, some alarm began to spread through the house. Philip had taken his boat to the place where he had left Juliet, but she was not there. He went again and shouted for her, but there was no reply. Then Mr. Rowles shouted from the lock in a voice that must have been heard at half a mile's distance. Still no sign of Juliet.
"You should not have left her there, Phil," said Mrs. Rowles.
"I've often set Emily down at the same place," was Phil's defence, "to gather king-cups or forget-me-nots."
"Yes, I know; but Juliet is not Emily."
This could not be denied. It accounted for Juliet's absence, but it did not bring her home.
Dozens of boats went up the river, and dozens went down. Rowles said to the occupants of each of them, "If you should see a girl of thirteen what has got lost, be so good as to tell her to come home double-quick, or it will be worse for her."