n you live in that hole till dark?"

"If you could throw down a lot of hay," said Aladdin. "It's very wet
down here and hard."

The girl went, and came with a bundle of hay.

"Look out for the lantern," she called, and threw the hay down to
him. She brought, in all, seven large bundles and was starting for the
eighth, when, by a special act of Providence, the flooring gave again,
and she made an excellent imitation of Aladdin's shute on the previous
evening. By good fortune, however, she landed on the soft hay and was
not hurt beyond a few scratches.

"Did you notice," she said, with a little gasp, "that I didn't scream?"

"You aren't hurt, are you?" said Aladdin.

"No," she said; "but--do you realize that we can't get out, now?"

She made a bed of the hay.

"You crawl over on that," she said.

Aladdin bit his lips and groaned as he moved.

"It's really broken, isn't it?" said the girl. Aladdin lay back gasping.

"You poor boy," she said.

XXVI

The girl borrowed Aladdin's pocket-knife and began whittling at a
fragment of board. Then she tore several yards of ruffle from her white
petticoat, cut his trouser leg off below the knee, cut the lacings of
his boot, and bandaged his broken leg to the splint she had made. All
that was against a series of most courteous protests, made in a tearful
voice.

When she had done, Aladdin took her hand in his and kissed the fingers.

"They're the smallest sisters of mercy I ever saw," said he. She made no
attempt to withdraw her hand.

"It was stupid of me to fall through," she said.

"Isn't there any possible way of getting out?"

"No; the walls are stone."

"O Lord!" said Aladdin.

"I'm glad I repented before I fell through," said the girl.

"So am I," said Aladdin.

"What were you doing in our stable?" said the girl.

"I got lost, and came in for shelter."

"You came to the house first. I heard you knocking, and saw you from the
window. But I wouldn't let you in, because my father and brother were
away, and besides, I knew you were a Yankee."

"It was too dark to see my uniform."

"I could tell by the way you rode."

"Is it as bad as that?"

"No--but it's different."

The girl laid her hand on Aladdin's forehead.

"You've got fever," she said.

"It doesn't matter," said Aladdin, politely.

"Does your leg hurt awfully?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Did any one ever tell you that you were very civil for a Yankee?"

"It doesn't matter,"