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 "I won't come out," said Amandy, who was a woman.

"You won't?"

"I won't."

"Your Paw says you are to."

"Tell him them as shut me up kin fetch me out," said Amandy.

George repeated this to the father.

"Amandy!" said the old man.

There was no answer.

"Amandy!" he roared.

"Ye-es, Paw," said the poor girl. "Ef you don't come out before a minute's gone I'll kill Billy Prentiss right here!"

The last person in Amandy's mind was Billy Prentiss. Why should he kill Billy? It was very strange.

"Oh, kem out, Amandy," said her mother.

"Don't you kem out if you don't want to, Amandy," roared Billy Prentiss. "If he wants to kill me, let him."

But Amandy crept out.

"I—I don't want you killed, Mr. Prentiss," said Amandy. "What hev you done?"

Bill Higginson, still on the pinto, and with