ate that afternoon, Tessibel had fitted the dwarf into the space
she had made vacant in her straw tick. At the top of the springs, which
consisted of taut ropes, she made a comfortable pillow for the little
man's head. And then they waited, the hearts of the two men heavy with
bitter fear, and the heart of the girl vibrant with faith that all would
be well with her friend.

CHAPTER XIII

SANDY PROPOSES TO TESS

Andy Bishop was stretched out in the middle of Tessibel's straw tick,
while the girl measured her length on the cot to assure her father that
the dwarf would be fully concealed from prying eyes.

"Does he seem all hid, Daddy Skinner?" queried she.

The squatter walked to the head of the cot and peered from all points of
vantage.

"He sure air, kid," he chuckled. "I can't see nothin' but a row of red
curls a mile long. Andy'll git back in the garret all right if Burnett
don't pull you off'n that bed."

"He won't do that," said Tess. "Jesus'll see I stay on it, I bet."

"There's some un a comin' now," hissed Skinner between his teeth,
startled. Tess had no more than cuddled under the blanket when a loud
knock resounded throughout the shanty. Daddy Skinner lifted the bar and
opened the door, his large form filling the narrow door-frame. At the
sight of Sandy Letts' smiling face, he stepped back, relieved.

"God, Sandy," he grinned, "ye might as well kill a man as scare him to
death. Come in an' set."

Lysander stepped into the kitchen, and his eyes fell upon Tess.

"What air the matter with the brat?" he asked, looking from Orn to the
girl lying there so languidly.

"She air kind a hurt--" began the fisherman.

"My foot air all packed up in a rag," interjected Tess. "I air always
doin' something to myself. The next time I come jumpin' down the lane, I
hope I won't be hurtin' my ankle."

She smiled wanly at Sandy, and he grinned back at her.

"If I knowed ye was sick, Tess, I'd a brought ye some candy," said he,
good-naturedly.

"Candy ain't good for a girl's teeth," sighed Tess. "Don't never bother
'bout bringin' it, Sandy."

"A pound or two won't hurt ye," asserted Letts. "An' when I likes a
girl, I allers bring 'er sweets. I say kid, ye do look awful pretty,
layin' there with your curls all stretched out that way. Now, my cousin
Ben, he wanted to marry ye, too, but he never liked yer hair; I love
it."

"Daddy were jest a sayin'," put in Tess, with a fleeting glance at her
father, "t