ed was more than he could say at that
moment.

Aunt Dorcas had ceased to call for him, when he understood that it would
be more prudent on his part to secure a light before taking any steps to
fetter the burglar, and he stepped back into the kitchen for this
purpose; but he had not yet found a match when the little woman entered,
holding high above her head a lamp, as she had done on the night when
Joe first saw her.

"Goodness gracious, Joseph! What _is_ the matter? You're covered with
blood! Have you met with an accident?"

"Now don't get frightened, aunt Dorcas; I ain't hurt."

"Why do you tell me that, Joseph, when I can see for myself? You must be
bleeding to death!"

"But I am not, I tell you. I jest got a clip on the nose, an' another
one behind the ear; neither of 'em will do any harm. Now don't you get
frightened; but I s'pose I've got to tell you what happened."

"Of course you have, Joseph. You don't fancy I can remain silent with
such goings on in my house, and not attempt to understand them. What
have you been doing to yourself? Why don't you answer? Can't you see you
are making me very nervous?"

"I didn't want to tell you, aunt Dorcas, 'cause I was 'fraid you'd get
scared; but there's a burglar out here in the shed. I knocked him silly
by pitching him down-stairs, an' now I'm tryin' to think how we can keep
him from gettin' away."

"A burglar! Keep him from getting away? Why, Joseph Potter, we don't
want any burglars 'round this house! For mercy's sake, if the poor,
misguided creature will go, don't you try to stop him! Did you hurt him
very much?"

Joe was relieved in mind because aunt Dorcas, instead of being terrified
at the information that a burglar was in the house, was only solicitous
lest he might have been injured, and he replied, grimly:

"I reckon I'm the one what got the worst of that little fuss. You
needn't feel so very bad 'bout him, 'cause he's only bumped his head.
But say, we mustn't let him go after what he's tried to do. I'll tie
him, an' you call Plums to go for a perliceman."

"Joseph, I never would consent to have a poor fellow arrested; but he
shall be talked to severely, for injuring you as he has done. The idea
of a grown-up man striking a child so hard as to bring blood!"

However serious the situation, Joe could not have restrained his mirth.

Aunt Dorcas's pity for the burglar, and fear lest he had been injured,
was to him very comical, and he laughed heartily,