better not; but
that was nothing. I'm sure he was only trying to gull me. He said
anybody light could get across if they kept to the edge, and nobody could
be much lighter than I am."

"But, Paul, you won't go?" pleaded Stella, anxiously. "Don't go, Paul!
_Please_ don't! you might be killed."

"Killed!" with terrific scorn. "You girls are such babies you are afraid
of your lives to do anything for fear you will be killed, or hurt."

"I am not," said Stella proudly. "You would be frightened though if you
got into one of those marshes, and were sucked down."

Paul grew more and more nettled, and defiant. "Anyhow, I am going right
away at once to look for one, and that'll show if I am afraid or not.
You _babies_ can stay where you are." And he walked boldly forward.

Stella bore the taunt bravely, though her feelings were cruelly hurt, too
deeply hurt to allow her to follow her brother and appear to be thrusting
her society on him. So she remained where he had left her, tightly
grasping Mike's hand as though to make sure that he at any rate came to no
harm. For nearly half-an-hour Paul wandered about without finding himself
on the dangerous spot, and the more he searched the more convinced he
became that Muggridge had been laughing at him.

"Won't Farmer Minards be pleased when Paul tells him," said Michael after
a long and anxious silence, and Paul had wandered about in all directions
in safety. But before he had finished his sentence they saw Paul stagger
as though he had stepped on something which had given way beneath his
feet, try to recover himself, and stagger again. Stella jumped up
instinctively and ran to him; even then she did not dream of the real
danger he was in, until, as she flew towards him, his cry of "Help, help!"
reached her. "Keep back'" he shrieked, as she came close. "It's the bog!
My feet are stuck, I can't free them, Stella; what can I do? Help, help,
help!"

Stella's heart stood still with fright. Paul was in the mud; it would
suck him down till it closed over his head, unless some one saved him, and
there was no time to be lost. What could she do, without a single
creature there to help her? "Mike," she called, "run home as fast as ever
you can, and tell them to come at once. Paul is in the bog, and it is
sucking him down." The tears were trickling fast down her face, and at
sight of them Michael began to cry too.

"Help, help!" called Paul again, then suddenly burst in