feet, and if I tried to stand
up I should go down flop!"

"Let me help you, Jem. Here, give me your hand. How dark it is?
Where's your hand?"

"Gently, my lad; that's my hye. Arn't much use here in the dark, but
may want 'em by-and-by. That's better. Thank ye, sir. Here, hold
tight."

"Can't you stand, Jem?"

"Stand, sir? Yes: but what's the matter? It's like being in a
round-about at the fair."

"You'll be better soon."

"Better, sir? Well, I can't be worse. Oh, my head, my head! I wish
I'd got him as did it headed up in one of our barrels, I'd give him such
a roll up and down the ware'us floor as 'ud make him as giddy as me."

"Now try and think, Jem," said Don excitedly. "They must not believe at
home that we are such cowards as to run away."

"No, sir; my Sally mustn't think that."

"Then what shall we do?"

"Try to get out, sir, of course."

"Can you walk?"

"Well, sir, if I can't, I'll crawl. What yer going to do?"

"Try the door. Perhaps they have left it unlocked."

"Not likely," said Jem. "Wish I'd got a candle. It's like being a rat
in a box trap. It _is_ dark."

"This way, Jem. Your hand."

"All right, sir. Frontards: my hands don't grow out o' my back."

"That's it. Now together. Let's get to the wall."

There was a rustling noise and then a rattle.

"Phew! Shins!" cried Jem. "Oh, dear me. That's barrel staves, I know
the feel on 'em. Such sharp edges, Mas' Don. Mind you don't tread on
the edge of a hoop, or it'll fly up and hit you right in the middle."

_Flip_!

"There, I told you so. Hurt you much, my lad?"

"Not very much, Jem. Now then; feel your way with me. Let's go all
round the place, perhaps there's another way out."

"All right, sir. Well, it might be, but I say as it couldn't be darker
than this if you was brown sugar, and shut up in a barrel in the middle
o' the night."

"Now I am touching the wall, Jem," said Don. "I'm going to feel all
round. Can you hear anything?"

"Only you speaking, my lad."

"Come along then."

"All right, Mas' Don. My head aches as if it was a tub with the cooper
at work hammering of it."

Don went slowly along the side of the great cellar, guiding himself in
the intense darkness by running: his hands over the damp bricks; but
there was nothing but bare wall till he had passed down two sides, and
was half-way along the third, when he uttered a hasty ejaculation.

"It's all right, Jem. Here is a wa