e darlins," she
replied, resigning her ladle to Prilla, who joined them at that moment,
and hurrying back to her charge.

She found her mistress bending over the crib of the sleeping babe. "I am
so thankful they were not roused by the noise, mammy," she said softly,
glancing at the bed where the older two lay in profound slumber, "but
don't leave them alone even for a moment."

"Deed I won't, darlin'; de bressed little lambs! dere ole mammy'd fight
de Kluxes to her last breff, fo' dey should hurt a hair ob deir heads.
But don't ye fret, Miss Elsie, honey; dey'll not come yere; de good Lord
'll not let dem get into de house," she added, big tears filling her old
eyes, while she clasped her idolized mistress in her arms as if she were
still the little girl she had so loved to caress and fondle years ago.

Elsie returned the embrace, gave a few whispered directions, and glided
into the next room, there to linger a moment by the couch of her little
girls, who were also sleeping sweetly, then hastened to rejoin Mrs.
Dinsmore and Rosie, in one of the rooms opening upon the lower front
veranda.

They sat at a table covered with arms and ammunition. Rose was a little
pale, but calm and composed, as was Elsie also; Rosie, making a great
effort to be brave, could not still the loud beating of her heart as she
sat listening intently for sounds from without.

Elsie placing herself beside her young sister and taking her hand,
pressed it tenderly, whispering with a glad smile, "'They that trust in
the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, which can not be removed, but abideth
forever.'"

Rosie nodded a half-tearful assent.

Horace looked in. "They are just entering the avenue. Mother and
sisters, be brave and help us with your prayers," he said, low and
earnestly, and was gone.

The ladies exchanged one swift glance, then bent forward in a listening
attitude and for the next few moments every other sense seemed lost in
that of hearing.

The raiders, as was their usual custom, had dismounted at the gate, and
leaving their horses in the care of two of their number, approached the
house on foot. They came on three abreast, but as they neared the
dwelling, one line branched off and passed around it in the direction of
the kitchen.

In an instant more the double column, headed by the leader of the troop,
had reached the steps of the veranda, where it came to a sudden halt, a
sort of half smothered grunt of astonishment coming from the