Neil attempts to poison the horses, however, a shadow rushes into the barn and punches him, before running out again just as Candy arrives. Eliza blames Candy for Neil's black eye at the first opportunity, and torn between his pride, Eliza's wishes and his mother's insistence, Neil elects to blame Candy. Candy realizes it must have been Albert. She writes him a letter, puts it into a bottle, throws it in the river and follows it from the bank, reasoning it will lead her to Albert. He finds her in the morning and takes her to his home, a large but ruined estate of the Ardley family, which he shares with several forest animals. When several gunmen arrive at the old house, Albert makes a hasty retreat and leaves Candy to deal with them by herself. They take her with them to the Ardley home where the boys hope to convince their great-aunt to adopt Candy: only she is able to teach "naughty" Candy to behave. But Eliza spoils the happy conclusion by revealing Candy has led a vagabond life. Disgusted with Eliza and his great-aunt, Anthony starts to see the benefit in leading the life of a vagabond, and, for that day, they gallop off on his horse.