mattress under him was
agitated with the motions of his body. Then came on the terrible fever,
which was worse than the chill, as the pain of fire is harder to bear
than the cold of ice. Poor Spink seemed to be burning up. A dreadful
headache seized him, which was only a little relieved when his wife
applied cloths wrung out of cold water to his forehead. After some
hours came the great sweat, which saturated his night shirt and a
portion of his pillow and bedclothes.

This attack was so violent it bordered on a "congestive chill," which
the settlers knew to be very dangerous. His wife waited upon him all
night, not wishing to keep the children up, and in the morning he was
very weak and she much worn.

Susanna rose early and took the pail to milk Brindle. What was her
surprise to find the barn door open, and when she looked into the
building she saw that their young horse, Chester, was missing. He had
pushed the barn door ajar and disappeared. She dropped her pail, ran
into the house, and told her mother the news. Mrs. Spink thought it
best to inform her husband of the occurrence, though he was still quite
ill.

Spink spoke from his bed: "That hoss has prob'ly went back to his old
hum. You'uns knows I bought him of a feller away back on de knobs. Sum
one must go find 'im. I can't go, nuther can yer ma. Elmiry an' the
boys must do the chores. So, Susanna, you must get Maud out'n de barn,
an' go after de hoss. It's a long trip, an' I'm sorry ye hav ter go.
Take a snack (food) with yer, fer ye'll git hungry."

Susanna replied: "Don't be troubled, pa. I can ride as good as a man. I
will gladly go, and try my best to find Chester." Her marvelous eyes
shone with a brilliant light, and in a few minutes she was gone.

The girl's quest for the horse might have reminded her of Saul's search
for his father's asses, had she been better acquainted with the Bible.
As Saul failed to discover the animals, but found a kingdom, so the
maid did not find the horse, Chester, but discovered a startling
situation.

Her way led by Zibe Turner's cabin, then to the knob, and along its
side, ever up toward the former home of the horse. When she had nearly
reached the top she came to the little open space containing the hut in
which Viola LeMonde was imprisoned.

There was an old well by the hut, but its sweep had rotted down, and
the water was stagnant and unfit to drink. Hence, Elmira Turner, the
guard of Viola, was compelled to go to