g still a moment longer, till
she was fully awake, she grew frightened, thinking:

"I never heard such a moaning and whistling as the wind does make up
here. I wonder if it is always so in a barn, and how I am to get down.
It was hard enough coming up, but in the dark, like this, and I not
remembering just where that ladder was; and if I don't find it--what
shall I do? Yet how silly to be afraid of things, a big girl like me;
and how impolite of that boy to go away and forget me. No matter how
much he likes Squire Pettijohn, he shouldn't forget his manners;
especially since it is I, not that gentleman, who is going to cure him
of stuttering. And what a stupid I am not to call him! If he's forgotten
I must remind him."

With that she crept as near the edge of the mow as she dared, and
shouted: "Montgomery! Monty Sturtevant! Boy! Come back and help me
down!"

While she listened for a reply she thought of the eggs she had collected
for Susanna, and crawled back to find her hat and them. The hat she
slipped over her head, its elastic band clasping her throat, and the
eggs she stored within her blouse. They were heavy and made it sag
inconveniently, but she could soon get rid of them if only that wretched
little Sturtevant boy would come back. She must try again!

"Mon-ty! _Mont--gom--ery!_"

Nothing save the wind soughing dismally among the rafters responded to
her call, uttered with her loudest voice, and a fresh shiver of fear
crept over her. Then she rallied, growing angry, which, under the
circumstances, was the best thing that could have happened. Her
indignation made her half-forget her terror so that she could plan her
descent with something like courage.

"Let me think. I noticed that the top of that straight little ladder
came high above the hay, almost to the roof in one place. I'd better get
on my stomach and just crawl along, ever so slowly and carefully, till I
find it. But--hark! Oh, joy!"

From somewhere in the darkness below a familiar yelp and whine sounded
faintly. The roaring of the wind almost drowned it, yet she recognized
that Punch had traced and followed her. She had always loved him, but
never had he been so adorable as at that moment. His unseen presence
comforted her so that she called back to him quite cheerfully:

"Yes, you precious, beautiful dog! Mistress is up here. She's coming!
Wait for her, darling, darling fellow!"

It is possible that the ugly-favored little animal appreciated