s if a conversation were going on, but he
could not tell whether his mother was taking his part or no. Then, all
at once, there came an unmistakable "Ha, ha, ha!" in the Doctor's gruff
voice, and that settled it.

"He couldn't have been cross," thought Vince, "or he wouldn't laugh like
that. And it was only the pillow after all."

Two minutes later the boy was asleep, and breathing gently without
dreams, and so soundly that he did not hear the handle of the door creak
softly, nor a light step on the floor. Neither did he hear a voice say:
"Asleep, Vince?" nor feel a hand upon his forehead, nor two soft, warm
lips take their place as a gentle voice whispered: "God bless my darling
boy!"

CHAPTER EIGHT.

A RANDOM SHOT.

"How about the cold pudding?"

"Look here, Ladle, if you say any more about that it means a fight."

"Ha, ha! Poor old Cinder riding the nightmare, and dreaming about the
Scraw! Wish I'd been sleeping at the cottage that night. I'd have woke
you up: I'd have given you cold pig!"

"Lucky for you that you weren't," said Vince. "I'd have given you
something, my lad. But, I say, Ladle, drop it. I wouldn't have told
you about that if I'd known you were always going to fire it off at me."

"Well it does seem so comic for a fellow to go stuffing himself with
cold pudding, and then begin dreaming he was hanging at the end of our
rope."

"Look here," said Vince sharply, "if you'd felt what I did that day,
though I didn't say much, I'll be bound to say you'd have dreamed of it
after."

"I felt bad enough," said Mike, suddenly growing serious, as they walked
together over the heathery land, unwittingly taking the direction of the
scene of their adventure; "and I don't mind telling you, Cinder, that
I've woke up four nights since with a start, fancying I was trying to
hold the rope, and it kept slipping through my fingers. Ugh! it was
very horrid."

He laid his hand on Vince's shoulder, and his companion followed his
example, both walking along very silently for a few minutes before Vince
said quietly:

"I say, you won't grin if I tell you something?"

"No: honour bright."

"Well, let's see: it was last Thursday week we went, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"I've been thinking about it ever since."

"So have I: not about the rope business, you know, but about that place.
It's just as if something was always making me want to go."

Vince let his hand drop, shook himself free, and faced his