She came running out of the forest--not running, but fairly
bounding, as if her feet were too light to rest on earth. Her face was
flushed, her eyes danced with excitement. But then, seeing his grave
and questioning face, she stopped short in front of him, suddenly
embarrassed.

"Well?" he asked gently.

"Would--a cave do?"

Her voice trembled between timidity and shortness of breath.

"A cave?"

"Yes."

"What kind of a cave?"

"A big cave--really two caves joined together."

"Where?"

"In the cliff--down there."

She pointed in the direction from which she had come at full speed.

"How high above the level of the valley?"

She stared at him, and was again embarrassed.

"I forgot that!" she said, in deep chagrin. "But wait, please!" She
looked around her. "I think--I know what you mean! It's higher up than
the marks on the trees there, surely it is!"

"Tell me about it!"

"It's only a little way from here. There's a narrow, clear space all
along between the forest and the cliff, where the grass grows high.
But there's one place--I missed it before, when I was just looking for
deer--where the cliff--How can I describe it? It sinks in, and there's
a slope up to it, solid rock. And at the top of the slope I saw a
black hole, and got off my pony to look in. The slope is easy to
climb. Tuesday climbed it with me. The mouth of the cave is partly
hidden by a rock that sticks out so that you can see the opening only
from one side. The entrance is no bigger than the door of your stable.
I was afraid at first, but--"

"You thought of your miracle," he suggested, with a smile.

"I knew something must be done, so I held my rifle ready, thinking it
might be a wild beasts' den, and listened a minute, and went in.
There's the big cave first, as large as the sitting-room and kitchen
together at Cousin Seth's, and there's a smaller one at the side, with
a narrow opening between them. The small one has an opening outside
too, just big enough for me to squeeze through, and look out on the
forest below."

"Was it cold in there? Did the wind blow through?"

"No, I think not. It seemed very dry and warm."

He looked at her intently, and so strangely that she blushed again,
she knew not why.

"Who are you, anyhow?" he asked, in a curious tone.

"I?"

"Yes, you?"

"I don't understand," she faltered in confusion.

"No matter!" he said. "We'll try the cave."

He had no faith in the experiment. Even with food