was left her now but to do or die. She valiantly braced her small
body across the frame of the chair, and Australia began her perilous
ascent.

Cuba looked mildly astonished as the plump figure of the little girl
appeared above his feed-box.

"I 've 'most got it!" cried Australia, reaching as high as possible,
and getting her forefinger over the edge of the big can.

At this juncture Cuba, whose nose had doubtless been tickled by
Australia's apron-string, gave a prodigious sneeze. Europena,
feeling that retribution was upon them, fled in terror. The ballast
being removed from the chair, the result was inevitable. A crash, a
heterogeneous combination of small girl, green paint, and shattered
chair, then a series of shrieks that resembled the whistles on New
Year's eve!

Redding was the first to the rescue. He had just driven Billy to the
gate when the screams began, and with a bound he was out of the
buggy and rushing to the scene of disaster. The picture that met his
eyes staggered him. Australia, screaming wildly, lay in what
appeared to his excited vision to be a pool of green blood; Europena
was jumping up and down beside her, calling wildly for her mother,
while Cuba, with ears erect and a green liquid trickling down his
nose, sternly surveyed the wreck. In a moment Redding had Australia
in his arms, and was mopping the paint from her face and hair.

"There, there, little sister, you aren't much hurt!" he was saying,
as Mrs. Wiggs and Asia rushed in.