she cried,
setting the baby down and beginning to investigate their prison, "we
must find some way out of this place. 'Tisn't very deep, to be sure;
but the sides seem pretty crumbly, so I don't dare to climb out. I
reckon we'll have to shout. Help, help, help!"

They screamed themselves hoarse, but no one came to answer their call,
and Janie began to wail dismally, for the minutes seemed like hours to
her, and she was tired and cross. "Never mind, honey," Tabitha
comforted. "If they don't find us around the house by supper time,
they will know something has gone wrong and send General to find us.
Now let's amuse ourselves for a while, and then we'll shout again.
Here is a stick. See if you can dig a deeper hole than I can. Why,
what's this?"

Stooping over to pick up a fragment of redwood bark at her feet, she
uncovered a small bag, which rattled as she touched it; and as she
untied the drawstring, a shower of glittering gold pieces fell into her
lap.

"Pennies!" cried Janie, making a dive for a share of the shining coins.

"Yes, dear, gold pennies, but Janie mustn't touch," answered Tabitha,
busily sorting the money into various piles according to its
denomination. "It doesn't belong to us, and we must take it to the--
Say, Janie McKittrick, what will you bet this isn't the money stolen
from the bank Saturday night? Mr. Dawley said they got only a few
hundred. Let's count it. One, two, three, four, five hundred dollars.
Janie, that's just what we've found! The robbers didn't dare take it
with them, and so hid it here, thinking it would be absolutely safe."

"Well, Tabitha Catt! Of all things! Look, girls, she's as calm and
cool as if she had gone on a picnic, instead of tumbling into a
prospect hole."

So intent had the two prisoners become in their find that neither had
heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and as breathless Susie's
voice rang out above their heads, both started guiltily.

"Why, how did you know where to look for us?" cried Tabitha, bouncing
to her feet, and slipping the bag out of sight, lest the children see
and ask questions.

"Well, when we couldn't find you about the house anywhere, Glory
remembered that Janie had slipped off down the trail while we were
talking, and so we decided that you must have chased her. Then Mercy
happened to think of these holes. Janie is always possessed to play
down here, and has run away three times before; so we came down to
look, and