Part 9 (1/2)

First ca-room, and next it the room in which Eustace and Peter slept Round the corner were Mrs Orban's roo-room At the other corner was Nesta's room, where Miss Chase would also sleep, and next to that the servants' rooe visitor ain

Eustace was drea vividly He was out with Nesta and Becky

Becky had been specially entrusted to their care, and they had been told only to go a little way into the scrub As a rule the children were not allowed to go into the scrub without a grown-up in charge, for there were dangers arowth known by this odd na, snakes abounded there; for another, it was only too easy to lose one's bearings, wander farther and farther into the wood, and eventually die of thirst and starvation, utterly unable to find the way hoain To Eustace's distraction, in his drea hide-and-seek, and kept constantly disappearing and returning, flitting on in front of theain like a will-o'-the-wisp

”We mustn't let her do it,” Eustace exclaimed ”Run, Nesta; we must catch her”

But the faster they ran, the farther Becky went; it was extraordinary how fast she could go

”I can't keep up,” Nesta panted

”Just like a girl,” puffed Eustace back, for he was getting exhausted hiht, and though Eustace called her till the echoes rang again and again with her nauess we shall all be lost,” thought Eustace desperately

He was rushi+ng madly hither and thither, when suddenly he heard a blood-curdling yell not very far off It was followed by another and another, till his heart stood still with terror

”Of course,” he said, pulling hiht, ”she ht of that”

But even as the notion flashed into his mind he kne silly it was to think of a secret chamber in the Bush He was so paralyzed by the awfulness of the sounds that for a hty effort, he forced himself to dart forward in the direction whence the cries ca blindly with so unpleasantly to him It took him a moment to realize that this was the mosquito net round his bed He was out on the floor in his own roo, and was noake; but the screams continued, and were most horribly real It was not Becky's voice--no child could have cried like that

There was a door froh this the boy dashed

”Mother, ht in the roo with a look of terror on her face

”I don't know,” she said unsteadily

”It has been going on for ages,” Eustace whispered

But Mrs Orban shook her head ”It has only just begun,” she said

”I o and see what is the matter”

Eustace was haunted by his dream--a second in a dream is equivalent to hours of real life

”O onized voice, and clung to her

”I ently but firmly Mrs Orban put the boy from her ”Perhaps one of the servants is ill At least they are both frightened, and need me Stay here with Becky”

The words were hardly out of her mouth when the door burst open, and in rushed Mary, followed by Kate Both girls looked halfout the tale between them, ”there was a black-fellow in our room He has stolen our watches fro he could find before oke, and he was pulling the rings off Mary's finger when she felt his, and we don't knohere he is--somewhere about the house--and maybe there are others with him O ma'am, whatever shall we do? We shall all be irls,” said Mrs Orban, with sudden sternness; ”we can't possibly be murdered in our beds e are all out of them”

Even in the stress of thestruck by the hu