s
nothing from the direction of the ponies showed they had ceased to crop
the grass and were lying down. The safety of the camp was in his hands.
If he forgot his duty, it might be fatal to all.

The sense of this responsibility and the newness of his position made
Jack Dudley more wakeful than he could have been under any other
circumstances. To these causes, also, was due a suspicious nervousness
which made him see danger where it did not exist. The rustling of a
falling leaf caused him to start and glance furtively to one side, and
at a soft stir of the leaves under a breath of wind, or a slight
movement of the sleeping ponies, he started and grasped his rifle with
closer grip.

All this was natural; but there came a moment, not far from midnight,
when there remained no doubt that some person or animal was moving
stealthily through the grove, near where he was standing. It will be
remembered that his position was such that the trunk of the large oak
acted as an impenetrable screen between him and the camp-fire, which was
burning so vigorously that its rays penetrated to a greater or less
degree beyond him. Thus he could see anything moving within the circle
of illumination, while he was as invisible to the keenest-eyed warrior
as if the night was without a ray of light.

The first warning was through the sense of hearing. He had been deceived
so many times that he suspected his fancy was playing with him again,
but the faint _tip, tip_ continued until such explanation was amiss.

"It is an Indian or a wild beast," was his belief.

The next minute he knew that, whatever it was, its position was between
him and the outer edge of the grove. Since the ponies were on the
opposite side of the fire, Jack was nearer the intruder than either they
or his friends, sleeping by the camp-fire. Recalling that his place was
the most favorable possible, he remained as motionless as the tree-trunk
behind him, and to which he stood close enough to touch by moving his
foot a few inches backward.

The situation being thus, it followed that if the man or beast continued
its advance it must come into sight, while Jack himself was invisible.
He therefore held his Winchester ready for instant use and waited.

He was standing in this expectant attitude when a remarkable thing took
place. The fire, having remained unreplenished for some time, had
subsided to a considerable extent, when one of the embers fell apart and
caused such a dis