fficulty in
the operation.

At first she tried to lift it by taking hold near the middle. As the
board had been bent down by her pressing it into place, her lifting
only made it grip tighter. It resisted her best efforts. Once and
again she tried, but without success; it was beyond her strength. She
could not get out!

"Oh, dear," breathed Janet in dismay.

She tried to force it out sideways. But this was even less practicable
if anything. Perceiving finally the nature of her mechanical
difficulty, she turned with new hopes to the end that was against the
door. As she expected, this proved to be the proper place to take
hold; but now the board moved only to make a noise that was amazing.
The method of its surprising operation was like the stuttering of a
stick when it is rubbed endwise on a box; but as this was a board and
as it operated against a rumbly shack, it reverberated like a giant
drum; it was an excellent apparatus for making artificial thunder. At
her very first effort it gave a little jump and made a noise sufficient
to put all the silence on the prairie to flight. She let go at once.
More deliberate efforts brought forth results still more tremendous; it
was something between a volley and a groan.

Now that she had done what she had, she felt that, embarrassing as it
was, she might as well get through with it and show herself promptly.
She might as well make the noise all at once as to make it piecemeal.

It was like operating a gatling gun. The board, being sprung down, had
a considerable distance to move before it would come free, but Janet,
having put her hands to it, stuck to it without flinching. It set the
whole shack a-going; those boards made such a noise as they had not
made since the day they went through the sawmill in long-drawn agony.
But she got it free. Being through with it, she set the board softly
in the corner; then she calmed herself and stepped forth.

So far as Janet could see, he considered it the most natural meeting in
the world. Jonas Hicks, fortunately, was not easily confused. She
lost no time, however, in beginning her explanation.

"You see, Mr. Hicks, I was going on horse-back from Wanger's farm up to
the county-seat to take the examination, and just as I was passing
here--"

Poor Janet; she had to tell that whole story over again. She told it
with particular attention to plausible detail; she wanted him to have a
perfect understanding of just how it w