us catch them," said my mother, rising, and holding her finger
up to us to preserve silence, as she stepped softly along the hall, we
following on tiptoe.

Softly turning the handle, she suddenly threw the door wide open, just
as the bell gave another jangle. Not a soul was visible!

My mother--one of the most placid-tempered women who ever breathed, now
became annoyed, and stepping out on the verandah, addressed herself to
the darkness--

"Come inside at once, boys, or I shall be very angry. I know perfectly
well what you have done; you have tied a string to the bell wires, and
are pulling it. If you don't desist you shall have no supper."

No answer--except from the hall bell, which gave another half-hearted
tinkle.

"Bring a candle and the step-ladder, Julia," said our now thoroughly
exasperated parent, "and we shall see what these foolish boys have done
to the bell-wire."

Julia brought the ladder; my eldest sister mounted it, and began to
examine the bell. She could see nothing unusual, no string or wire, and
as she descended, the bell swayed and gave one faint stroke!

We all returned to the sitting room, and had scarcely been there five
minutes when we heard my three brothers coming in, in their usual way,
by the back door. They tramped into the sitting room, noisy, dirty,
wet with spray, and hungry, and demanded supper in a loud and collected
voice. My mother looked at them with a severe aspect, and said they
deserved none.

"Why, mum, what's the matter?" said Ted; "what _have_ we been doing
now, or what have we not done, that we don't deserve any supper, after
pulling for two hours from Circular Quay, against a howling, black
north-easter?"

"You know perfectly well what I mean. It is most inconsiderate of you to
play such silly tricks upon us."

Ted gazed at her in genuine astonishment. "Silly tricks, mother! What
silly tricks?" (Julia crossed herself, and trembled visibly as the bell
again rang.)

My mother, at once satisfied that Ted and my other brothers really knew
nothing of the mysterious bell-ringing, quickly explained the cause of
her anger.

"Let us go and see if we can find out," said Ted. "You two boys, and
you, Julia, get all the stable lanterns, light them, and we'll start out
together--two on one side of the house and two on the other. Some one
must be up to a trick!"

Julia, who was a huge, raw-boned Irish girl, as strong as a working
bullock, but not so graceful, again crossed