girls come and give us
some breakfast; there is no danger at present."

"Shanter make plenty big fire," cried the black. "Pull down big box
fellow--big tub. Black fellow no come long time."

The boys sprang to his help, the tub and chest were removed, and a fire
lit, its ashes soon removing the traces which had been hidden by the
cask.

The ladies looked very pale, but their neat aspect in the dim kitchen,
along with the sparkling fire, gave everything a cheerful look in spite
of the gloom.

Shanter marched to the front door.

"Open," he said shortly. "Mine go eat damper. Plenty see black fellow
come and shut um."

"Yes, we could keep watch, and close it again quickly," said the
captain. So bars and barricades were drawn aside, and the door thrown
open to admit the fresh, delicious, morning breeze, which blew full in
their faces, while the light darted into the interior of the shuttered
rooms.

"Hurrah!" cried the boys in chorus; and they all came out into the
front.

"What's the matter, Shanter?" cried Rifle, as the black suddenly threw
back his head, dilated his nostrils, and began to sniff.

"Mine smell," he cried.

"What can you smell?"

The black was silent for a few moments, standing with his eyes closely
shut, and giving three or four long sniffs, twitching his face so
comically, that the boys laughed.

"Muttons," said the black, decisively. "Mumkull sheep fellow. Big fire
where? Hah!"

He had been staring about him now as he spoke, and suddenly fixed his
eyes on the low bushes down by the waterfall, and pointed to a faint
blue curl of smoke just rising above the trees, and which might have
been taken for mist.

"I can smell it now," cried Tim. "It's like burning wool."

"Mumkull sheep fellow. Roace plenty mutton."

"Oh yes, one of our sheep," cried Norman, fiercely.

"Kimmeroi--bulla--metancoly--plenty mutton."

"Yes," said Rifle, "and they'll camp down there and eat all father's
sheep. Oh, if we could only drive them right away."

"Shanter catch sheep fellow, eat mutton?"

"No, not yet," said the captain, quietly; and very soon after, with
Shanter and Sam German watching, the defenders of the little fort obeyed
a call, and went in to enjoy a wonderfully good breakfast considering
the position in which they were placed.

Then began a day of careful watching, during which, at Aunt Georgie's
desire, Shanter sought for eggs, drove up the two cows to the door to be
milked, a