faith to believe that her prayer would be answered.

"Now I will go down to the ground and start for home. I guess the bear
isn't far off, but the Lord will not let him hurt me."

She carefully descended the tree and stood on the ground a minute later.
She found that her dress was torn and she had lost part of the ribbon
from her hat. This troubled her more than anything else, for her frugal
mother had told her many a time that she must take the best care of her
clothing.

"I was so scared that I forgot to look out," she said to herself, after
taking an inventory of the damages; "but I guess mother will excuse me
for losing the ribbon, though I know she won't for coming so far into
the woods without permission."

She now set out resolutely for the bridge, determined to lose no more
time in reaching home. As is the rule, the brief space she had passed in
sleep seemed three times as long as was actually the case, and she
thought it must be near morning.

She had gone but a short distance when she stopped with another shock of
affright.

"My gracious! what can that be?"

A point of light appeared between her and the bridge, flickering about
like an _ignis-fatuus_ or jack-o'-lantern. Nellie felt like taking to
the tree again, but she bravely stood her ground until she could satisfy
her curiosity as to its nature.