house? Suppose we
try it here. We might have gas-light, you know, and all our food could
be brought down on a dumb waiter."

"Yes," said Cassy, who was very fond of sleep; "and we needn't ever get
up in the morning."

"No skeetos," suggested Dotty.

"Men have lived in the earth sometimes," said Horace. "There was St.
Dunstan; his cell was hardly large enough to stand in--was it, father?
And sometimes he stood in water all night, and sang psalms."

"What was that for, Uncle Edward?"

"He was trying to please God."

"But uncle, I don't believe God liked it."

"The man was, no doubt, insane, dear. But his perseverance in doing what
he thought right was something grand. Now suppose, children, we ascend
and see what is going on atop of the earth."

"I'm glad we didn't always have to stay in that black hole," said Dotty,
catching her breath as they were drawn up.

Then the thought occurred to her that the One who had made the sunlight
and the soft green earth was kinder than she had ever supposed.

"Well," said cousin Horace, "now we've done the mine; and this evening,
Dotty, you and I will go and sniggle for eels."

Dotty dared not tell any one that she had expected to find gold, and had
been disappointed.

Her first act, after reaching Aunt 'Ria's was to look in the little box
for her precious pearl. It was gone! No doubt Flyaway had taken it.
Dotty mourned over her own carelessness in leaving her treasure where
the roguish little one could reach it. Instead of finding gold, she had
lost something she supposed was more precious than gold. But she bore up
as bravely as possible, and said to Mrs. Clifford,--

"You needn't punish the baby, Aunt 'Ria; she didn't know she was
stealing."

Dotty had never seen an eel. Like a coal mine, a pearl, a Guinea pig, a
drunken man, and a _chegre_, she supposed an eel was peculiar to the
climate, and could be found nowhere but out West. As it had been
described as being "really a fish, but looking more like a snake," she
did not expect to be very much charmed with its personal appearance. She
wished to catch one, or see one caught, because it would be something to
tell Prudy.

There was no moon, and the night was cloudy.

"My son, be sure you take good care of your cousin," said Mrs. Clifford,
the last thing.

"So funny!" Dotty thought. "They don't seem to think there's anybody
else in this world but just _me_!"

Horace carried with him some light wood, and, when th