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"Lead on," I co my hand upon his shoulder to make sure of his presence "I will keep hold upon your robe, so we shall not part company in the darkness"

Very sloe felt uncertain passage across the uneven floor It appeared littered with innumerable articles of the box and barrel order, with here and there a pile of loose lu such a ju our direction became simply impossible in that intense darkness which seemed to fairly s us We did well to proceed at all, and escape creating a racket by stu over some of the many unseen obstacles in our path As toand clirow completely lost, but fortunately the priest kept a so blindly for soh he would sed to put hand at last upon the object of his patient search

"'T is here," he whispered "Shall I go up?"

"Ay!" I returned hopefully, glad I had restrained the i before you venture stepping on it; theyhi in his robe about the waist, but the ladder creaked so alarht upon it until he had safely reached the top Finally the noise of his clih above me

"Are you up safe?" I questioned in a low voice

"All safe, praise be to God," came the cautious response; "but thou wilt do well, friend, to exercise grave care, as the way is bad"

It required brief exploration to convince us that this second story possessed a strong, fir traps in it for the hoisting of cotton, while the boards ht not extend over the entire surface By this tirown so us, so the slightest change in the prevailing gloom became quickly apparent The air was so fresh and pure, with such a taste of the night in it, I beca soestion to my companion He proved keener of vision than I, for even as we thus spoke he plucked my sleeve and pointed upward

"Then surely it will be yonder," he exclaierness of voice than I had before htness to the at to the sky"