ooth surfaces of moss and grass
among them. She found a shady place among these rocks, and sat down
upon the moss. She laid her head down upon her arm and began to weep
bitterly.

Presently she raised her head again, and endeavored to compose
herself, saying,

"But I must not cry. I must be patient, and wait till they come. I am
very tired, but I must not go to sleep, for then I shall not hear
them when they come. I will lay my head down, but I will keep my eyes
open."

She laid her head down accordingly upon a mossy mound, and
notwithstanding her resolution to keep her eyes open, in ten minutes
she was fast asleep.

She slept very soundly for more than two hours. She was a little
frightened when she awoke, to find that she had been sleeping, and she
started up and climbed along upon a rock which was near by, until she
gained a projecting elevation, and here she began to listen again.

She heard the distant tinkling of a bell.

"Hark," said she. "I hear a bell. It is out _that_ way. I wonder
what it is. I will go there and see."

So taking up her pail very carefully, she walked along in the
direction where she had heard the bell. She stopped frequently to
listen. Sometimes she could hear it, and sometimes she could not.
She, however, steadily persevered, though she encountered a great many
obstacles on the way. Sometimes there were wet places, which it was
very hard to get round. At other times, there were dense thickets,
which she had to scramble through, or rocks over which she had to
climb, either up or down. The sound, however, of the bell, came nearer
and nearer.

"I verily believe," said she at length, "that it is Queen Bess."

Queen Bess was one of Mary Erskine's cows.

The idea that the sound which she was following might possibly be
Queen Bess's bell, gave her great courage. She was well acquainted
with Queen Bess, having often gone out to see Mary Erskine milk
her, with the other cows. She had even tried many times to milk her
herself, Mary Erskine having frequently allowed her to milk enough, in
a mug, to provide herself with a drink.

"I hope it is Queen Bess," said Mary Bell. "She knows me, and she will
give me a drink of her milk, I am sure."

Mary Bell proved to be right in her conjecture. It was Queen Bess. She
was feeding very quietly, Mary Erskine's other cows being near, some
cropping the grass and some browsing upon the bushes. Queen Bess
raised her head and looked at Mary Bell with