nd assisted in bringing in more wood and water, displaying a
wonderful eagerness in performing any duties connected with the
preparation of food.

Many of the little things done looked risky, but the enemy made no sign,
and the sun began to set with the house much strengthened as a fort, and
better provisioned for a siege.

Rifle was sure, two or three times over, that the blacks must be gone,
and said so, but Shanter shook his head.

"Black fellow plenty eat. Go sleep," he said, on one occasion. On
another, he cried cheerfully, "Black fellow baal go along. Mumkull all
a body." While lastly, he said coolly, "Black fellow ogle eye all a
time."

Then night--with the place closely barricaded, and the arrangement made
that half of their little party should sleep while the other half
watched, but the former had their weapons by their sides ready to spring
up at the first alarm, the captain having arranged where each sleeper's
place was to be.

There was some opposition on the part of the ladies, but they yielded
upon the captain telling them that the siege might last for days; and
that not only would they be safer, but it would give their defenders
confidence to know they were out of danger.

And then once more the anxious watch began, Shanter creeping now softly
from loophole guard to loophole guard, for there was no need for him to
watch by the chimney, which was stopped again.

But their precautions were necessary, for the first alarm they had came
from the chimney, to which, spear in hand, the black ran and chuckled as
he heard the chest creak, and a crashing sound upon the cask which
supported it notify that one of the black fellows was trying to force
his way down.

After that five different attacks were made, the blacks trying to force
in door and window, till a shot was fired through the loophole. This
was in each case followed by a desperate effort to spear the defenders
through the hole; and being prepared now, Shanter waited for and seized
the weapon, holding it while a charge of shot was poured through the
slit.

Then would come yells and a savage throwing of spears, which suggested a
harvest to the black, which however, as in the last case, was not
fulfilled, every one being afterwards collected and carried away.

The result of all this was that very little sleep was enjoyed by
anybody, and the morning broke to give the defenders an interval of rest
and peace, for the blacks did not show themse