“Wat dat clock say?” she asked; for one of the city clocks was striking the hour.

“It’s twelve o’clock,” answered Sylvia.

“Oh!  My lan’, Missy!  Dat’s a terrible onlucky time fer us to be out,” whispered Estralla.  “Dat’s de time w’en witch folks comes a-dancin’ an’ a-prancin’ ‘roun’ and takes off chilluns.”

Sylvia knew that all the negroes believed in witches and all sorts of impossible tales, so Estralla’s words did not at all frighten her, but she did wish that she was safe in her own home.  The streets were now dark and silent, and black shadows seemed to lurk at every corner as, hand in hand, Estralla and Sylvia ran swiftly along.

“I tells you, Missy, dat it’s jes’ lucky I comes after you, cos’ witch-folks, w’at comes floatin’ ‘roun’ ’bout dis hour of de night, dey ain’t gwine to tech us; cos’ when dey’s two folks holdin’ each other hands tight, jes’ like we is, dey don’t dast to tech us,” said Estralla.

“Where were you, Estralla, when I came down-stairs?” Sylvia asked.

“I was jes’ a-takin’ a little sleep on de big rug side of your door, Missy.  I’se been a-sleepin’ dere dis long time.  My mammy lets me.  An’ when you opens de door I mos’ calls out, but didn’t.  I jes’ stan’s up quick, so’s you nebber know I was thar,” and Estralla chuckled happily.

Sylvia wondered to herself why Estralla should choose such a hard bed.  Then, suddenly, she realized all Estralla’s devotion.  That the little negro girl had slept there to be near her “fr’en’.”  She remembered the first time that she had ever seen Estralla, on the morning when she had tumbled in to Sylvia’s room and broken the big pitcher, and that even then Estralla had been ready to confess and take the whipping that she was sure would follow, rather than let Sylvia be blamed.  She recalled Estralla’s effort to rescue her at Fort Sumter on the day Sylvia had run away from Miss Patten’s school; and she remembered that it was Estralla who had told Miss Patten the real reason, and so saved her from further trouble.

“Estralla, you have been my true friend,” she declared, “and I am going to remember it always.  I am going to ask my mother to put a nice little bed for you in your mammy’s cabin.”

“Don’ yo’ do that, Missy.  I likes sleepin’ on de rug,” pleaded Estralla.

“Hush, we must creep in without making any noise,” responded Sylvia, in a whisper, for they were now directly in front of Sylvia’s home.

Noiselessly Estralla led the way.

“Oh, Missy! de door is shut fas’,” she whispered, as she endeavored to push it open,

“But it can’t be shut,” Sylvia answered.

Both the little girls pushed against it, but the door stood fast.

“Oh!  What will we do?” half sobbed Sylvia, who was now very tired, and almost too sleepy to think of anything.

“We cyan’t get in de back door.  My mammy she’d wake up if a rabbit run twixt her cabin an’ de kitchen,” Estralla whispered back.  “I ’spec’s I’ll hev’ to climb up to de winder ober de porch, and comes down and let you in.”