pe of the roof, and up them one of the enemy was
cautiously climbing, while his companion was holding them at the foot.

"Bel must grasp this," thought Dallas, who dared not whisper, for fear
of giving the alarm to the enemy and putting them on their guard. For,
cunning enough in the plans that had been devised, the enemy were about
to ignore door and window, and make their approach by the opening in the
roof through which the smoke passed.

There was a sort of lid of boards nailed a foot above to prevent the
snow from falling straight through, but there was ample room for an
active man to lower himself down through the hole; and, drawing a deep
breath full of satisfaction, Dallas changed the direction of the muzzle
of his gun, feeling quite sure that the one who was to attack would
lower himself down feet first, so that the task of performing vengeance
would be easy as far as one of the men was concerned, and at any rate
they could make sure of him.

Dallas's teeth gritted softly together as he waited, and Abel's heart
beat with heavy throbs, for he had been as quick to grasp the way of
attack as his cousin. But they had not fully fathomed the enemy's
plans, and were completely taken by surprise.

It was only a matter of a few minutes, but it seemed like an hour as the
young men strained their eyes in the black darkness, and mentally saw
one of their foes climb slowly up till he reached the sloping roof, up
which he progressed steadily, the two pieces of tree rasping and
crunching the thick, icy snow which clung to the roof; and then fingers
trembled about triggers as the defenders tried to guess at the opening
exactly in the centre of where the ridge-pole ran.

And now the sounds came more plainly; a hand was evidently feeling about
for the opening, for a bit or two of snow from the edge of the hole--
pieces which had not melted away--fell down amongst the embers with a
soft pat, and a low, hissing sound of steam arose from the hot
fire-hole.

"Now he knows exactly," thought Dallas, "and I shall hear him turn and
begin to lower himself down. We ought to wait till he is more than half
through before we fire. Will Bel think of this?"

He drew a long breath, for there was a heavy, rustling sound above, as
if the man on the roof was altering his position. Then there came a
sharp scratch, for the greater part of a box of matches had been struck
all at once. Then there was a brilliant flash of light, the moment