in the Army," said Peter. "It's a business like anything else."

And he pointed out briefly where the five men should be stationed and
why, and Shad, somewhat mollified by the cigarette, shrugged and
agreed.

"We'll do sentry duty in the regular way," went on Peter cheerfully,
"with a corporal of the guard and a countersign. I'll explain in detail
to-morrow." And then to Shad, "I'll take command until midnight, when
you'll go on with the other shift until four. I'll make it clear to the
other men. The countersign is the word 'Purple.' You'd better go and
turn in. I'll call you at twelve."

Peter watched the figure of the woodsman go ambling across the lawn in
the direction of the garage and smiled. He also marked the vertical line
of light which showed at a window on the second floor where another kept
watch. The man called Jesse, the one who had been asleep beneath the
bushes, and who, fully awake, had watched Peter's exhibition of
scouting, now turned to Peter with a laugh.

"I guess you're right, Mister. S'long's we're paid. But I'd like to know
just what this 'ere thing is the ol' man's skeered of."

"You know as much as I do. It will probably have two legs, two hands and
a face and carry a gun. You'd better be sure you're not asleep when it
comes. But if you care to know what I think, you can be pretty sure that
it's coming--and before very long."

"To-night?"

"How do I know? Have a cigarette? You cover from the road to the big
cedar tree; and keep your eyes open--especially in the shadows--and
don't let anybody get you in the back."

And so making the rounds, instilling in their minds a sense of real
emergency, Peter gave the men their new sentry posts and made friends.
He had decided to stay up all night, but at twelve he called Shad Wells
and went down to look over his cabin which was a quarter of a mile away
from the house near Cedar Creek (or "Crick" in the vernacular). The key
was in the cabin door so he unlocked it and went in, and after striking
a match found a kerosene lamp which he lighted and then looked about
him.

The building had only one room but it was of large dimensions and
contained a wooden bed with four posts, evidently some one's heirloom, a
bureau, washstand, two tables and an easy chair or two. Behind the bed
was a miscellaneous lot of rubbish, including a crib, a rocking horse, a
velocipede, beside some smaller toys. Whom had these things belonged to?
A grandson of McGuire's? A