Mr.
Satam's" head, and they waited in terrified silence for that head to
rise and confront them.

Meanwhile, Billy was wandering around in great anguish of soul, not
knowing what dreadful thing might happen any moment. He started back to
the house at last. Cricket came skipping down the piazza steps.

"See here, young 'un," Billy began, eagerly,--he seldom called the
children by their names. "I'm afraid suthin' dretful's goin' to happen."

"What's the matter, Billy? Why, how your hands shake!"

"Perhaps you can stop 'em," went on Billy, hurriedly; "them ere little
tikes is a-doin' a dretful thing. They're over by the sand-bank,
a-diggin' fur--hell." He brought out this last word in a deep,
half-frightened whisper.

"Digging for _what_? Oh, Billy!" and Cricket's laugh rang out. "You know
better than that. Where are they? I'm going to dig a little myself, and
they might help me."

Billy looked a little shamefaced at Cricket's laugh.

"Don't you think they could get there, then?" he asked, looking
relieved. "I don't really know just where 'tis, myself. Didn't want
them little tikes to come to no harm, that's all."

"Billy, think how silly of you to think that place is under the ground.
Think how men dig wells and mines, and things, and nothing ever happens,
unless they cave in, or something like that, which doesn't count," said
Cricket, skipping and dancing on, as usual, while Billy shambled along
by her side. "I'm just ashamed of you."

Billy looked crushed.

"I s'pose I'm a silly boy," he said, meekly, for the poor old fellow was
never anything but a boy in his own eyes. "See here, don't say nothin'
to Mis' Maxwell, will you?" he added, anxiously.

Just then the children, who still stood, frightened yet curious, by the
hole, caught sight of them coming. They both made a wild rush and caught
Cricket's hands.

"I'm so 'fraid, Cricket," half sobbed Helen. "Zaidee digged for the Bad
Place and we've most found it, and there's a feather of Mr. Satam's
head, sticking right up, and I'm 'fraid he may bounce up and get us."

Cricket doubled up with laughter.

"Oh, you silly children! You're thinking of a red Indian, I guess.
That's nothing but some bird's feather. If you dug long enough, you'd
come to China, that's all."

"But it got so hot, Cricket," insisted Zaidee, "an' Billy says it's
awfully hot there."

"'Course it's hot when you dig down, because the centre of the earth is
all burning up, you know, but