d not sleep on the bare ground," said
Oliver. "Now, Ailwin, don't you begin to cry. Pray don't. You are a
grown-up woman, and Mildred and I are only children. You ought to take
care of us, instead of beginning to cry."

"That is pretty true," said Ailwin: "but I little thought ever to sleep
without a roof over my head."

"Come, come, there are the trees," said Oliver. "They are something of
a roof, while the leaves are on."

"And there is all that cloth," said Mildred; "that immensely long piece
of cloth. Would not that make a tent, somehow?"

"Capital!" cried Oliver. "How well we shall be off with a cloth tent!
It seems as if that cloth was sent on purpose. It is so spoiled
already, that we can hardly do it any harm. And I am sure the person
that wove it would be very glad that it should cover our heads to-night.
I shall carry it and you across before anything else--this very minute.
I will run down and bring the raft round to the door below. The water
is low enough now for you to get out that way.--Oh dear! I wish I was
not so tired! I can hardly move. But I must forget all that; for it
will not do to stay here."

While he was gone, Mildred asked Ailwin whether she was very tired.

"Pretty much; but not so bad as he," replied Ailwin.

"Then do not you think you and I could fetch off a good many things,
while he watches Geordie on the grass? If you thought you could row the
raft, I am sure I could carry a great many things down-stairs, and land
them on the hill."

Ailwin had no doubt she could row, in such a narrow and gentle stream as
now ran through the garden.

She made the trial first when Oliver was on board, and several other
times with Mildred, succeeding always very well. Oliver was extremely
glad of this; for the bridge-basket had been used so much, and sometimes
for such heavy weights, that it was wearing out, and might break down at
any moment. The bridge-rope, too, being the stoutest cord they had, was
very useful for tying the raft to the trunk of the beech, so that it
could not be carried away. When once this rope was well fastened,
Oliver was content to rest himself on the grass beside Geordie, and let
the strong Ailwin and little Mildred work as they wished. It surprised
him, well as he knew Ailwin, to see the loads she could carry, bringing
a good-sized mattress up the bank as easily as he could have carried a
pillow. She wrung the wet out of the long piece of home-spun, an