aited anxiously, for
there had been the lurking dread that the Indians might creep up to the
garden through the darkness, unseen, and perhaps strike at my father
down below before he could be on his guard.

Once the moon was up, I felt that we should have light till daybreak,
and with that light a good deal of the shivering dread caused by the
darkness would pass away.

It was a long, very long while before the moon reached the tops of the
trees, but when it did, the clearing and the gardens seemed to have been
transformed. Long shadows, black as velvet, stretched right away, and
trees were distorted so that I felt as if I was dreaming of seeing a
garden upon which I had never set eyes before.

At last, almost imperceptibly, the moon, well on to its last quarter,
appeared above the edge of the forest, and I was in the act of drawing
myself back with a feeling of satisfaction that all was safe, when I saw
something dark lying close to the shadow cast by a tree.

"Would Indians lie down and crawl?" I whispered.

"More likely to than walk, if all I hear's true, Master George."

"Then look there!" I whispered, as I pointed to the dark, shadowy
figure.

"Where, lad? I can't see anything."

"There; just at the edge of that long, stretched-out shadow."

Morgan drew in his breath with a faint hiss.

"It's moving--_he's_ moving," he whispered; "crawling right along to get
round to the back, I should say. And look, sir, look!--another of 'em."

I just caught sight of the second figure, and then crept to the rough
trap-door opening.

"Father," I whispered, "come up here. Bring a gun."

He was beneath the opening in a moment.

"Take hold of the gun," he said. "Mind!--be careful"--and he passed the
heavy weapon up to me.

The next moment he was up in the rough loft, and I pointed out the
figures of the Indians.

I heard him too draw in his breath with a faint hiss, as he stretched
out his hand for the gun, took it, softly passed the barrel out through
the open window and took aim, while I stood suffering from a nervous
thrill that was painful in the extreme, for I knew that when he fired it
must mean death.

I involuntarily shrank away, waiting for the heavy report which seemed
as if it would never come; and at last, unable to bear the suspense
longer, I pressed forward again to look hesitatingly through the window,
feeling that I might have to fire a gun myself before long.

All at once, as the suspens