hut the door.

She had noticed in the corner that morning a narrow roof-board which
might have been used to hold the door shut; she felt for it at once.
When she had it in her hands, at last, she put one end against the door
and braced the other end against the wall opposite where it met the
floor. The board was so long that it would not go low enough to catch
securely against the door. She managed, however, by pressing down hard
on its middle, to spring it tightly into place. There being nothing
further to be done, except to keep as still as possible and hope for
the best, she proceeded to do so.

The lamb being less discreet, lifted its voice and called out for its
mother. There was an answering cry from the corral, after which there
seemed to be promise of quiet. Janet held her breath and got what
reassurance she could out of the fact that she was surrounded by walls,
between the shrunk boards of which the glare of the fire showed in
vertical streaks. As it was pitch dark inside, she could see nothing
of her protecting structure except in so far as it had the appearance
of being a cage of fire.

The threatening voice advanced by stages, coming surely on. Presently
she could hear the tramp of many feet, accompanied by the clanking of
chains. There was a dull knocking of heavy wheels. There was the
sharp crack of the whip-lash again, a quicker trampling of hoofs, a
louder sound of wheels and chains and a still louder vociferation of
commands. Janet could hardly have felt less confidence in that shack
if it had been the heavy artillery that was coming into position--which
it sounded very much like. There some sort of evolution performed and
a command to stop; then all was silent again. For a space, Janet heard
nothing.

Then a sound of footfalls told her that he was coming nearer. The door
was tried. When it did not open he pushed it harder. It gave a little
at the top, but, to her great relief, the brace held. After a little
she heard his measured tramp again. And again there was silence.

Janet, unable to endure the suspense, put her eye to the knot-hole.
The intruder, a tall piratical-looking figure, was standing between her
and the fire; she could see his general build in black. From the side
of his face there protruded a terrible moustache.

The man, after a period of silent thought, went and fetched some wood.
He was going to take possession of the fire. Janet kept her eye to the
knot-hol