said Hortense with a sigh.

"Perhaps there are," said Fergus. "Who knows?"

"Have you ever seen them?" Andy demanded.

"Not of late," Fergus admitted, "but when I was a young lad in Ireland
I saw them many a time."

"But not here?" said Hortense.

"It's because I'm old, not because they're not about," said Fergus. "To
young eyes there should be Little People up the mountain yonder on a
fine moonlight night."

Andy and Hortense looked at each other as though to say, "We'll find
out, won't we?" which was indeed what both of them were thinking.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER VIII

"_The sky was lemon colored, and the trees were dark red._"

Uncle Jonah had declared he would trounce Andy if ever he found him in
the orchard or the barn, but as Uncle Jonah was very rheumatic and had
to hobble about his work, it seemed unlikely that he would ever catch
Andy, who was as fleet as a squirrel. It was a fine game, however, to
pretend that Uncle Jonah was "after them," and so Andy and Hortense ran
and hid whenever Uncle Jonah came in sight.

One afternoon they were seated in the grape arbor enjoying the early
grapes, which were forbidden, when Uncle Jonah suddenly appeared. The
only way to escape was through the vines and lattice, a tight squeeze,
and Uncle Jonah nearly had them.

"I seed yo'," Uncle Jonah called, "an' I's gwine tell yo' Gran'pap."

Andy and Hortense ran as if possessed. Into the barn they went and up
into the haymow where they were usually safe, but as they lay panting
on the hay, Uncle Jonah entered the barn, grumbling to himself.

Andy and Hortense lay as still as mice. Uncle Jonah was with the
horses. They could hear the slap of his hand upon their fat backs and
his, "Steady now, quit yo' foolin'."

"Done et all yo' hay, have yo'? Spec's dis po' niggah to climb dose
staihs and tho' down some mo'? I ain't gwine do it, no suh."

Nevertheless, soon Andy and Hortense heard Uncle Jonah's step on the
stairs and they gazed at each other in fright.

"Where shall we hide?" Hortense gasped.

"Slide down the hay chute and into the manger," said Andy quickly. "The
horses won't bite, and we can get away before Uncle Jonah comes down."

In a moment they were at the chute and, holding to the edge, dropped
down, Andy first and Hortense on top. Andy scrambled through the hole
into the manger and Hortense after him, but the hole was small, and
Hortense plump, and it was only by hard squeezing that she got