r the appointed time of tryst, when the first division of the
Western mail was roaring by--the warm red lights from its windows
shedding a glow by the viaduct--she and I betook ourselves to the far
end of Grandma Clay's vineyard, where we were securely screened by the
osage orange hedge on one side and the grape-canes and their stakes on
the other. Dawn carried a two-pound treacle-tin filled with tar, and
which had been sitting on the end of the stove during the afternoon to
melt into working order. Carry, who had entered into the affair with
vim, had her share of the arrangements in readiness, and was secreted
nearer the house to act as sentinel, and to run to our assistance if
summoned by a prearranged whistle.

Dawn placed me and the superannuated hair broom, with which she had
armed me, behind a grape-vine, and herself took up a position before
it and beside a hole about eighteen inches deep and two feet square
which she had excavated.

Mr Pornsch was soon to be heard tripping and blundering along, while
the starlight, to which our eyes had grown accustomed, showed the
river where the dead girl whom we were there to avenge had ended her
miserable existence.

"Dawn, my pet, where are you? Curse the grape-vines," he gasped.

"I'm here, _uncle darling_," she responded, the two last words under
her breath.

Directed by her voice, he neared till we could discern his bulk.

"My little queen," he exclaimed, the tone of his voice betraying that
which defiled the crisp glory of the night for as far as it carried.

"Just wait a minute till I see where we are," said Dawn, "or we will
be getting all tangled up in these canes."

With this she started back, causing him to do likewise, and drawing a
swab on a stick from the pot in her hand, she brought a consignment of
the black sticky tar a resounding smack on his face, and following it
with others thick and fast, exclaimed--

"There! There! That's all for you!"

Mr Pornsch naturally stepped backwards into the excavation, as
designed, and sat down as completely and largely helplessly as one of
his figure could be counted upon to do, and coming to Dawn's
assistance I planted the broom on his chest, and bore with my feeble
strength upon him. It was quite sufficient to detain him, seeing he
was now stretched on the broad of his back with his amidship
departments foundered in two feet of indentation.

Dawn thoroughly plastered his face and head, and in spitting to keep