Early hours were the rule among the settlers in those primitive days, and by nine o'clock all was darkness and silence in the dwelling of the Lamars.
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... #story #kidsstories ✝️❣️?️ AcreSoft Story Classic acresoft.com cointr.ee/acresoft