act. Amy seemed
burning up with fever. Ruth had never seen a case of scarlet fever, but
she feared that might be Amy's trouble.

"How long have you been here?" she asked Amy.

"Si--since--since it got dark," choked the girl.

"Is your throat sore?" asked Ruth, anxiously.

"Yes, it is; aw--awful sore."

"And you're feverish," said Ruth.

"I--I'm aw--all shivery, too," wept Amy Gregg, quite given up to misery
now.

Ruth was confident that the smaller girl had developed the fever that she
feared. Chill, fever, sore throat, and all, made the diagnosis seem quite
reasonable.

"How did you get into this cellar?" she asked Amy.

"There's a hole in the underpinning over yonder," said the culprit.

"Come on, then; we'll get out that way. Can you walk?"

"Oh--oh--yes," choked Amy.

She proved this by immediately starting out of the cellar. Ruth lit the
way with the lantern.

"Hi!" shouted Curly Smith, "where are you going with that light?"

"Come back to the door," commanded Ruth's muffled voice in the cellar.
"You can find your way all right."

"What do you know about that?" demanded Ann. "Leaves us in the lurch for
that miserable child, who ought to be walloped."

"Oh, Ann, don't say that!" cried Ruth, as she and the sick girl appeared
at the mill door. "No! don't come near us. I'll carry the lantern myself
and lead Amy. She's not feeling well, but she can walk. We must get her to
Mrs. Smith's just as soon as possible and call a doctor."

"What's the matter with her?" demanded Curly, curiously.

"She feels bad. That's enough," said Ruth, shortly. "Come on, Amy."

For once Amy Gregg was glad to accept Ruth Fielding's help. She had no
idea what Ruth thought was the matter with her, and she stumbled on beside
the older girl, sleepy and ill, given up to utter misery. Curly and Ann
began to be suspicious when Ruth forbade them to approach Amy and herself.

"Old Scratch!" whispered the boy to the Western girl. "I bet Amy's got
small-pox or something. Ruth Fielding will catch it, too."

"Hush!" exclaimed Ann, fiercely. "It's not as bad as that."

It was a long walk to Mrs. Sadoc Smith's. At the last, Ruth almost carried
Amy, who was not a particularly small girl. Curly grabbed the lantern and
insisted upon walking close to them.

"No matter if I _do_ catch the epizootic; guess I'll get over it," said
the boy.

They finally came to the Smith house. Helen and Mrs. Sadoc Smith came out
on the porch when the