thout going to the bedroom door, and whispering sharply, "It's all
right, mother. We'll take care of you."

He did not wait for a reply, but crept into the backroom, where all was
silent, and he went from thence into the long lean-to kitchen, with its
big stone fireplace and chimney.

"Pist! you there, boys?"

"Yes; mind how you come. Your gun's standing up in the corner by the
fireplace. We're going to sit here, and take it in turns for one to
watch at the window slit."

Then after making out by touch where the others were placed, and nearly
falling over Shanter, who was squatting, enjoying the warmth which came
from the hearthstone to his bare feet, the boy seated himself on a rough
bench by his gun, and all was silent as well as dark. From time to time
the captain came round--in each case just after they had changed watches
at the window loophole--but neither Norman, his cousin, nor brother had
anything to report, and he went away again, after telling them the last
time that all was well, and that he thought their sister and cousin had
gone off to sleep.

Then there was the same oppressive darkness and silence once more, a
heavy breathing by the still warm fireplace, suggesting that Shanter,
well refreshed with damper, had gone to sleep, and the boys
instinctively shrank from disturbing him for fear he should start into
wakefulness, and lay about him with his nulla-nulla.

It must have been nearly twelve o'clock, when Norman was wishing that
the Dutch clock in the corner had not been stopped on account of its
striking, for the silence was growing more and more painful, and he was
wondering how it would be possible to keep up for hours longer. He felt
no desire for sleep; on the contrary, his nerves were strained to their
greatest tension, and he could hear sounds outside as if they had been
magnified--the chirp of some grasshopper-like insect, or the impatient
stamp of a horse in the enclosure, being quite startling.

But there was nothing to report. He could easily find an explanation
for every sound, even to the creaking noise which he felt sure was
caused by one of the cows rubbing itself against the rough fence.

Rifle was watching now at the narrow slit, but there was nothing to see,
"except darkness," he whispered to his brother, "and you can't see
that."

And then, as he sat there for another half-hour, Norman began once more
to envy the black, who seemed to be sleeping easily and well, in spit