A bed stood in one corner of the large family room, a trundle bed beneath it, which was drawn out at night; and here slept the parents and younger children. One of two smaller apartments between this and the kitchen was appropriated to Nell; the other occupied by the older children. The young girl was roused from her sleep in the middle of the night by something falling down the wall close to her side. "Percy! Percy!" she screamed in affright. "What is it, Nell?" answered the major, springing out of bed. "Oh, I don't know, I don't know! It's too dark to see! But, oh, come and bring a light quickly!" That was more easily said than done; friction matches were as yet an unknown luxury; the choice was between flint and steel and the fire covered upon the kitchen hearth. He chose the latter, but it was a work of time to hunt out a coal from the ashes, and blow it into life till it would ignite the wick of a candle. The thing was accomplished at last, however, and the light revealed a viper beneath Nell's bed. The major succeeded in killing it, and soothing his sister's alarm with a few kindly reassuring words, again retired to rest. It was some time before Nell's fears were forgotten in sleep, and a grumbling voice from the kitchen woke her early in the morning. "Dear me, who's been rakin' ober dis fire? It's clar out, every spark of it; an', Tig, you'll have to run over nex' do' for a bran' to start it wid." Silvy the cook was evidently very much out of humor. "Pshaw! you didn't cober it up right," returned the boy. "You git along!" was the wrathful answer. "I reckon you done raked it ober yourself; and I'll tell de major ef you don' quit cuttin' up sech shines. Be off after dat bran' now, fast as you kin go." Nell turned over on her pillow and listened. "Percy must have forgotten to cover up the coals again," she said to herself. "What a narrow escape I had! What with Indians and vipers in the town, bears, wolves and panthers in the woods, I seem to have come into a dangerous place." She sighed rather drearily, a homesick feeling creeping over her, spite of her love for Percy and the rest. But that presently vanished before the beauty of a balmy, sunshiny May morning, the sight of the well-spread breakfast table, and the affectionate greetings of her brother and the children. "I'm going shopping, Nell," announced Mrs. Lamar two hours later, when the house had been set to rights, and Silvy given her orders for the day; "will you go with me?" "Shopping!" echoed the young girl in incredulous surprise. "Yes; do you think Philadelphia is the only place where one may shop?" "No; but here in the woods?" "Yes, here in the woods we can shop; we have already three stores." So they donned their bonnets and sallied forth.