"You're a wicked girl!" Eliza said, severely. "I don't know what mother'll say. Here's Jonathan all scratched up, too. Did you take him over there?"
"Yes," sobbed Mirandy.
"You're a dreadful wicked girl! Didn't you know 'twas stealing?"
"Harriet said—it wasn't," returned Mirandy, in feeble defence.
"It was. I shouldn't think you'd said such a thing, Harriet."
"Of course it's stealing," said Daniel, soberly.
"Here you've been stealing," scolded Eliza; "and your bucket's gone, and Jonathan is all scratched up with blackberry vines. I don't know what mother'll say."
She took Jonathan out of his wagon and hushed him, and then they had a consultation as to what was best to be done. Mirandy related, with tearful breaks, the story of her well-filled bucket and its mysterious disappearance.
"Of course Cap'n Moseby was watching out there with his gun and took it," said Daniel.
It was finally agreed that they would all go in a body to Cap'n Moseby's, and try to recover Mirandy's bucket, that she might not have to face her mother without it. When they reached the Moseby house the doors were closed and the windows looked blank. They knocked as loudly as they dared, and there was not a sound in response. They looked at one another.