en, but not as big as the room
which the people gave Aunt Mary and me--a very decent room, with two
funny high beds in it. I couldn't sleep much, because of remorse about
something I had done. I'm ashamed to tell you what, but you needn't
worry, for it only concerns the car. And then I didn't know in the least
how we were to get on again next day, as this time the automobile had
taken measures to secure itself a good long rest.

I'd dropped off to sleep after several hours of staring into the dark
and wondering if Brown by some inspiration would get us out of our
scrape, when a hand, trying to find my face, woke me up. "It's come!" I
thought. "They're going to murder us." And I was just on the point of
shrieking with all my might to Brown to save me, when I realized that
the hand was Aunt Mary's; it was Aunt Mary's voice also saying, in a
sharp whisper, "What's that? What's that?"

"That," I soon discovered, was a curious sound which I suppose had
roused Aunt Mary, and sent her bounding out of bed, like a baseball, in
her old age. I forgot to tell you that in one corner of our room, behind
a calico curtain, was a queer, low green door, which we had wondered at
and tried to open, but found locked. Now the sound was coming from
behind that door. It was a scuffling and stumbling of feet, and a
creepy, snorting noise.

Even I was frightened, but it wouldn't do, on account of discipline, to
let Aunt Mary guess. I just sort of formed a hollow square, told myself
that my country expected me to do my duty, jumped up, found matches,
lighted our one candle, and with it the lamp of my own courage. That
burned so brightly, I had presence of mind to take the key out of the
other door and try it in the mysterious green lock. It didn't fit, but
it opened the door; and what do you think was on the other side? Why, a
ladder-like stairway, leading down into darkness. But it was only the
darkness of the family stable, and instead of beholding our landlord and
landlady digging a grave for us in a business-like manner, as Aunt Mary
fully expected, we saw two cows and a horse, and three of those silly,
surprised-looking French chickens which are always running across roads
under our automobile's nose.

This was distinctly a relief. We locked the door, and laid ourselves
down to sleep once more. But--for me--that was easier said than done. I
lay staring into blackness, thinking of many things, until the blackness
seemed to grow faintly pa