ut was banished in an instant, although he believed himself quite
unable to hold out until drawn to the surface. For a second he closed
his eyes, believing they were about to plunge back into the abyss.

He looked up once more; the huge bird had disappeared; his hand was
at the very extremity of the broken rope--when, just as his convulsive
grasp was failing, he was seized by the men, and with the child was
placed on the level ground.

The fearful strain of anxiety removed, a reaction took place, and Harry
fell fainting into the arms of his friends.

CHAPTER XII. NELL ADOPTED

A COUPLE of hours later, Harry still unconscious, and the child in a
very feeble state, were brought to the cottage by Jack Ryan and his
companions. The old overman listened to the account of their adventures,
while Madge attended with the utmost care to the wants of her son, and
of the poor creature whom he had rescued from the pit.

Harry imagined her a mere child, but she was a maiden of the age of
fifteen or sixteen years.

She gazed at them with vague and wondering eyes; and the thin face,
drawn by suffering, the pallid complexion, which light could never have
tinged, and the fragile, slender figure, gave her an appearance at once
singular and attractive. Jack Ryan declared that she seemed to him to be
an uncommonly interesting kind of ghost.

It must have been due to the strange and peculiar circumstances under
which her life hitherto had been led, that she scarcely seemed to belong
to the human race. Her countenance was of a very uncommon cast, and her
eyes, hardly able to bear the lamp-light in the cottage, glanced around
in a confused and puzzled way, as if all were new to them.

As this singular being reclined on Madge's bed and awoke to
consciousness, as from a long sleep, the old Scotchwoman began to
question her a little.

"What do they call you, my dear?" said she.

"Nell," replied the girl.

"Do you feel anything the matter with you, Nell?"

"I am hungry. I have eaten nothing since--since--"

Nell uttered these few words like one unused to speak much. They were
in the Gaelic language, which was often spoken by Simon and his family.
Madge immediately brought her some food; she was evidently famished. It
was impossible to say how long she might have been in that pit.

"How many days had you been down there, dearie?" inquired Madge.

Nell made no answer; she seemed not to understand the question.

"How many d