Grim enough by daylight, it was now doubly so; for the blackness seemed like something tangible, some shapeless monster which was gathering itself together, and shrinking back, inch by inch, as the little spark of light moved forward.

The gaunt beams, the jagged bits of iron, bent and twisted into fantastic shapes, stretched and thrust themselves from every side, and again the girl fancied them fleshless arms reaching out to clutch her.
But hark! was that a sound,--a faint sound from the farthest and darkest corner, where the great wheel raised its toothed and broken round from the dismal pit?
"Jock! my little Jock!" cried Hildegarde, "are you there ?" A feeble sound, the very ghost of a tiny bark, answered her, and a faint scratching was heard.

In an instant all fear left Hilda, and she sprang forward, holding the lantern high above her head, and calling out words of encouragement and cheer.

"Courage, Jock! Cheer up, little man! Missis is here; Missis will save you! Speak to him, Will! tell him you are here." "Wow!" said Will, manfully, scuttling about in the darkness.

"Wa-ow!" replied a pitiful squeak from the depths of the wheel-pit.