little hand upon the lantern till her nails dug into her
palms and went down, down.

She groped her way to the kerosene can and finally came upon it and felt
its surface. Yes, it was the kerosene can. Her trembling little hand
fumbled for the tiny faucet. How queer it felt in the dark when she
could not see it! It seemed to have a little knob or something on it.
...

Her hand was shaking but she held the little tank of the lantern under
the faucet and was about to turn the handle when something--something
soft and wet and silent--touched her other hand. She drew a quick
breath, her heart was in her mouth, her hands were icy cold. Still she
had presence of mind enough not to scream.

But as she rose in panic terror from her stooping posture, the lantern
pulled upward against the faucet, toppling the big can off its skids.
There was no plug in the can and the kerosene flowed out upon the
terror-stricken child, wetting her shoes and stockings, and made a great
puddle on the stone floor. She stood in the darkness, seeing none of
this, which made the catastrophe the more terrible.

And then, as she stood in terror, wet and bewildered, waiting for
whatever terrible sequel might come, she felt again that something soft
and wet and silent on her hand. She moved her hand a little and felt of
something soft. Soft in a different way. Soft but not wet.

"Wiggle," she sobbed in a whisper; "why--why--didn't you--you--tell me
it was you--Wiggle?"

But he only licked her hand again as if to say, "If there is anything
on for to-night, I'm with you. Cheer up. Adventures are my middle name".
...

CHAPTER XXVI

PEPSY'S INVESTMENT

For a few seconds Pepsy stood in suspense amid the spreading, dripping
havoc she had caused, listening for some sound above. But the seconds
piled up into a full minute and no approaching step was heard. The
danger seemed over.

But the very air was redolent of kerosene; she stood in a puddle of it,
and one of her stockings and both of her plain little buttoned shoes
were thoroughly wet. When she moved her toes she could feel the soppy
liquid. Oh, for a light! It would lessen her terror if she could just
see what had happened and how she looked.

She groped her way to the small oblong of lesser darkness which
indicated the open bulk-head doors, and felt better when she was in the
free open darkness of outdoors. Wiggle, seeming to know that something
unusual was happenin