ave not the time to do it safely," he said; "but--let us see--if
it widens as you say, Joseph, it is very likely that it has another
opening."

He took a small plan out of his pocket, a tiny little measuring scale,
nodded once or twice, and then began slowly to pace through the wood at
right angles to the course of the Backwater.

All at once he dropped to the ground as if shot. I judged it best to
efface myself, too, and that promptly. So I crawled behind a big pine
tree, about whose roots the male ferns were growing tall, and, putting
their thick scaly stems aside with my hand, I lay watching the heels of
the boots which Mr. Ablethorpe wore.

He kept quite still, apparently intent upon something I could not see.
Now, of course (you will not have noticed it), but I am very curious
about things that don't concern me in the least--not to talk about, you
understand, but just to _know_. So, as the ferns grew pretty
continuously, and the pines held close together, shooting their
indigo-blue umbrellas into the sky, I wriggled along till I could lay
my hand on one of the minister's boot heels.

It was a foolish thing to do, for it nearly made him cry out. I saw
him set his teeth to shut in the sound. He had a nerve, the Hayfork
Minister, but I could see from his look that he would give it to me
after for coming on him like that. However, it was some fun to see him
in a funk.

And, indeed, with reason! For not more than a dozen yards down the
slope, between us and the wall of the old orchard, I saw Mad Jeremy, on
his knees, digging with his fingers, eager as a terrier at a rat hole.

Then I called to mind the mysterious crime of which Miss Aphra had
found him guilty, and her stern accusation, "You've been digging
again!" the day Elsie and I were at the Grange. Last of all, his
repeated denial, his attempts to rub off the earth pellets, his
sentence, tears, and punishment. Yes, I saw him digging with his
fingers just as his sister had said.

Jiminy, how I wished I was at home!

I might wish, indeed, but there we were stuck and had to wait--Mr.
Ablethorpe and I--till Mad Jeremy, having finished his task, stamped
down the sods he had edged up at either side, and set with care a great
square flagstone in its place.

Then he stood rubbing his hands together and grinning for some minutes,
evidently well pleased with himself. A voice far away called:

"Jeremy! Jeremy!"

At the sound the smile was stricken fro