It made the depth of his present misfortune seem so much greater.
But, after a while, he took heart again; courage came back to him; the
belief that he would be finally saved grew stronger in his mind; hope
burned up brightly in his breast, and the pride of parentage within
him filled him with ambition to do what lay in his power to accomplish
his own deliverance. It was little he could do, indeed, save to wait
with patience and in hope until outside help should come, but this
little, he resolved, should be done with a will, as befitted his birth
and position.
He folded the precious bit of paper he had found and fastened it in
his waistcoat pocket so that he should not lose it as Robert Burnham
had lost it; then he took up his lamp and went back through the
half-walled entrance, down the chamber and along the side-heading to
the air-way door where Jasper had been left.
There was a small can of oil sitting just inside the door-way. It
was the joint property of Ralph and the door-boy. It was fortunate,
he thought, that he had selected that place for it, as he was now in
great need of it. He filled his lamp, from which the oil had become
nearly exhausted, and then passed out through the door.
The mule was still there and uttered a hoarse sound of welcome when he
saw the boy.
"I found somethin' up there, Jasper," said Ralph, as he sat down
on the bench and began to pat the beast's neck again, "somethin'
wonderful; I wish I could tell you so you could understand it; it's
too bad you can't, Jasper; I know you'd be glad.
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