.

But second after second--seconds which seemed to her like hours--went by
and he did not appear again. Her heart began to beat with frantic fears
that Neb, himself, as well as the superb animal which she had already
learned to love, had fallen victim to the fire, when, at last, he
stumbled from the door.

"'Tain't no use," he said, as he weakly staggered up to her. "It kain't
be done. Queen Bess am crazy wid de fiah. She jes' won't come out! I
cain't _git_ huh to come out." He sobbed. "An' she am all dat Marse
Frank hab on earth!" Beside himself he ran off toward the house,
shouting for his master wildly.

"All he has on earth!" the girl exclaimed, the bell-rope falling from
relaxing hands. An instant she stood there in thought, horrified at the
idea of the catastrophe which threatened Layson. Then: "I'll save her!
She will follow me!"

Without a second's hesitation, with no thought for her own safety, she
drew her skirts about her tightly, wrapped her shawl around her head to
save her hair and dashed through the growing flames about the
stable-door, into the inferno which now raged within the structure, just
as Neb, running with a lurching step, but with a speed remarkable in
one so old and stiffened by rheumatic pains, dashed back to the scene of
the disaster, in advance of Frank, the Colonel, Holton, Miss Alathea and
the other inmates of the house, guests, servants, all.

[Illustration: "BACK! BACK! I'M A-COMIN' WITH QUEEN BESS!"]

Without a word, as he approached, Frank pulled off his coat, evidently
preparing for a desperate dash through the now roaring flames to rescue
his beloved mare. Then, bracing himself for a great spring through the
lurid barrier, he cried, "I'll save her!" and would have leaped into the
flaming entrance if Neb had not caught his arm with desperate grip.

"No, honey," the old negro cried, "yo' shan't go in!"

The Colonel joined the negro in restraining the half-crazed owner of
Queen Bess. "It's no use, Frank," said he. "We'll not let you go in."

They dragged the struggling youth back from the fire just as, to their
amazement, an exultant voice rang from the inside of the burning
building. "Back! Back!" it cried. "I'm a-comin' with Queen Bess!"

An instant later Madge sprang out through the flames, followed by the
mare, about whose head the mountain girl had wrapped her shawl.

"Come, girl! Come, girl!" said Madge, alert of eye, cool-witted,
soothing.

As docilely as she had