journey. We had not proceeded more than two or three hundred
yards when Boxer gave a low growl, and then breaking into a fierce bark,
dashed forward.

"Curse that dog, he'll be waking up the people, and may be fixing his
fangs into the throat of one of us," exclaimed some one in a gruff
voice, who was concealed apparently behind a snake fence some little way
off.

"I'll stick my bowie-knife into him, if he comes near me," said another
person.

Dan was about to cry out and call the dog back, but I stopped him in
time.

"Keep silence!" I whispered, "those must be the Kentuckians; they are
on the watch, probably intending to make a rush for the door when Biddy
opens it in the morning, hoping to surprise the rest of the family in
bed. The best thing we can do is to go back and let our father know
what we have discovered: crouch down so that they may not see us. I
suppose they have been creeping forward to get close up to the house
without being discovered."

The loud barking of the dog prevented any risk of my voice being heard,
which, low as I spoke, it might have been in the still night air. The
men, whoever they were, did not fire, probably because they could not
catch sight of Boxer, who was rushing from side to side, concealed among
some low shrubs and thick grass. I hoped when he found that we were
returning, he would also retreat and avoid the risk he was running of
being shot.

We hurried back, Boxer still keeping up his barking, preventing our
footsteps being heard.

"But I am afraid poor Boxer will be shot," said Dan.

"No fear of that; the men, if they wish to surprise us, won't venture to
fire," I observed, "and if we call him it will show them that they have
been discovered; better let him take his chance, he understands what he
is about. While he keeps up his barking, the sound of the door opening
will not be heard."

We accordingly crept back towards the house, but on reaching it found
that Peter had closed the door, and we had to make our way round to the
window of the room in which he slept. We tapped on the shutter, but
Peter did not answer.

"He has fallen asleep again, the lazy fellow!" said Dan in a low voice.

We knocked louder and louder.

"Who dare?" at length asked a voice from within.

"Open the window and I will tell you," I said in a whisper, but
sufficiently loud for Peter to hear me, I hoped.

"Who dare?" he again asked.

"Open the window, quick, quick," I repeated