"I do not ask that, Sally," pleaded the boy. "I have set the baby in Bideabout's barn, and there's no knowin', it may get hold of the chopper and hack off its limbs, or pull down all the rick o' broom-handles on Itself, or get smothered in the heather. I want a lantern. I don't know how to pacify the creature, and 'tis squeadling that terrible I don't know what's the matter." "Is it a drawin' of the hind legs up, and stiffenin' of the back?" asked the old maid. "I think so," answered the boy, dubiously; then, with further consideration, "I'm sure of it. It wriggled in my arms, like a worm when one's gettin' it on a hook out fishing." "That's convulsions," said Sally. "'Twill go off in one of they, sure as eggs is eggs and ain't inions." "Do you really say so?" "It's that, or water on the brain. Wi' all this pouring rain, I shouldn't wonder if 'twasn't the tother. Not, you know, that I've any acquaintance wi babies. Only I've heard wimmin talk as has had 'em just like rabbits." "Do they die when they have water on the brain?" asked the boy. "Always. Babies can't stand it, no more nor can goslings gettin' their backs wetted." "Don't you think that perhaps it's only hunger?" "Can't say. Has the babe been a grabbin' and a clawin' at your nose, and a tryin' to suck it?" "Once, Sally, when my nose got into the way." "Then there's hunger too," said Sally, sententiously. "Them babies has terrible apertites, like canibals, and don't know what's good for 'em." "Will you help me?" pleaded the boy. "Have you a feeding bottle?" "Presarve and deliver us--I! What do you take me for, you imperant bye?" "I think any medicine bottle would do, if well washed out. I shouldn't like, if there was any castor oil or senna tea dregs left, you know. But properly washed out, it might do, with a little milk in it." "You'll choke the baby like that," said the old maid. "I have seen how it is done. You stuff a bit of rag into the throat of the bottle, and leave a tip o' rag hanging out." "Dare say, but you byes seems to understand these things better than I." "Won't you come down and help me, Sally?" "I'll come down presently when I've tumbled into some of my clothes." Then the head disappeared, and the casement was shut. After the lapse of a few minutes, a light appeared at the window of the lower room, and the door was slowly unlocked and unbarred. Then the old woman appeared in the doorway. She wore her huge white-frilled nightcap, that fluttered in the wind about the shrivelled face it enclosed, but she presented an extremely limp and attenuated appearance in her person.