officers soon aided in the pursuit of the fugitives, who, in consequence
of that delay in crossing the river, were quickly overtaken. The four
girls returned sadly to their homes, and afterwards broke off their
engagements in disgust.

For a considerable time it was a mystery how the party of eight managed
to cross the river in that little boat without any girl being ever left
with a man, unless her betrothed was also present. The favourite method
is to take eight counters or pieces of cardboard and mark them A, B, C,
D, a, b, c, d, to represent the four men and their prospective brides,
and carry them from one side of a table to the other in a matchbox (to
represent the boat), a penny being placed in the middle of the table as
the island.

Readers are now asked to find the quickest method of getting the party
across the river. How many passages are necessary from land to land? By
"land" is understood either shore or island. Though the boat would not
necessarily call at the island every time of crossing, the possibility
of its doing so must be provided for. For example, it would not do for a
man to be alone in the boat (though it were understood that he intended
merely to cross from one bank to the opposite one) if there happened to
be a girl alone on the island other than the one to whom he was engaged.


377.--STEALING THE CASTLE TREASURE.

The ingenious manner in which a box of treasure, consisting principally
of jewels and precious stones, was stolen from Gloomhurst Castle has
been handed down as a tradition in the De Gourney family. The thieves
consisted of a man, a youth, and a small boy, whose only mode of escape