nting him.

"What have you been doing with your saw?" asked Glenning, amused, but
holding his face decorously straight.

"Cut a winder on de yon' side o' de house. Hit tuk me twel dinner-time.
Now comes dis pesky do', whut de Prince won' fit. Ef he had 'nough
gumption to stoop, he could go in, but he's dat proud he won' bend a
bit. 'N' he got to git in hyar 'fo' dahk, sho'."

"Let me take a look. Maybe I can offer you a suggestion."

John passed through the low door. He found himself in a tall, dark room,
odourous of cured meats and burned hickory fagots. It was scantily
lighted by a square window of diminutive size, for in making the opening
Peter had been careful not to get it large enough to admit the body of a
man. But Glenning thought it was just the right size to admit two arms,
one holding a bull's eye lantern and the other a revolver. By the aid of
the light which streamed through the open door he could discern dimly
the rows of blackened rafters overhead, from which broken bits of hempen
strings hung desolately. There was not an ounce of meat in the
smoke-house, and the man could not help wondering the least bit at this.
Could they really be poor! He remembered what Dillard had said to
him--"They are in no position to entertain a well guest, let alone a
sick one." His heart sank strangely at the thought, and pity filled his
breast. He turned swiftly, and went out the door.

"Peter's trouble is not as grave as it might be," he said, smiling at
Julia as she stood patiently listening to the darky's discourse. "There
are two remedies; to cut up, or dig down. The floor, I notice, is
perhaps six inches lower than the ground, or we could saw out the log
above the lintel. Either is entirely practicable, and not difficult.
Which would you prefer, Miss Dudley?"

Julia did not know, as the perplexed look on her face showed, but Peter
did. He broke in before she had time to formulate a reply.

"We'll dig dat do'step up. I've heerd de Massa say afo'time dat de
rain'd run under dat do', 'n' dat he gwi' hab it 'tended to 'kase it
spile de meat. 'Bleeged to yo', suh. I'll git de pick 'n' shev'l 'n' fix
dat d'reckly."

He departed with his peculiar gait.

"Come and look at The Prince, and see if he knows you," said Julia.
"Peter hasn't let him get out of sight today."

Together they approached the young animal which stood tethered under the
shade of a small peach tree to one side.

"It's wonderful how little he was