g home.

An hour passed, and another, with several false alarms--now the crack of
some dry board in the side of the house, now a noise made by some one
moving in the room, or the creaking of one of the fences outside--
everything sounding strange and loud in the stillness of the night; and
as the time wore on, and no fresh attack came, the boys' hopes rose
higher, and they turned to the black as the best authority on the
manners and customs of the natives.

"They must be gone now, Shanter," Rifle said at last, after two or three
dampings from that black sage. "It's over two hours since we have heard
them: all gone along, eh?"

Shanter grunted.

"I shall ask father to let me go out and reconnoitre."

"Mine no pidney," said the black.

"Get out of one of the windows and go and look round."

"What for go along? Plenty damper--plenty water."

"To see if the black fellows have gone."

"Baal go see. Marmi come back tickum full spear and go bong."

"Nonsense! the black fellows are gone."

"Black fellow all along. Come plenty soon."

"How do you know?"

"Mine know," said the black, quietly; and they waited again for quite an
hour, fancying every rustle they heard was the creeping up of a stealthy
enemy.

Then, all at once, there was a light, narrow, upright mark, as it
seemed, on the kitchen wall. This grew plainer, and soon they were
looking on each other's dimly-seen faces; and about ten minutes later
Norman went to the chimney corner, took hold of the shovel there, and
scraped together a quantity of the fine, grey wood ashes which lay on
the great hearthstone about the cask which supported the chest in the
chimney, to sprinkle them about in the middle of the kitchen.

The boys looked on, and Tim shuddered, but directly after uttered a sigh
of relief, just as a hideous, chuckling laugh came apparently from the
ridge of the house.

"Quick!" cried Norman, dropping the fire-shovel with a clatter, and
seizing his gun; "they're on the roof."

"Baal shoot," cried Shanter, showing his teeth. "Dat laughum jackass,"
and he imitated the great, grotesque kingfisher's call so faithfully
that the bird answered. "Say piggi jump up:" his interpretation of the
curious bird's cry; and very soon after piggi, otherwise the sun, showed
his rim over the trees at the edge of the eastern plain. For it was
morning, and Rifle shuddered as he went to the window slit to gaze out
on the horrors of the night's work.

C