these creatures waged unceasing war with every
human being that lay down beside them. In a very short time the
sleepers found this out. Fred began to grow restless and to groan. So
did Sam. In the course of an hour or so Fred uttered a fierce
exclamation, and rose on his hands and knees. So did Sam. Then Fred
and Sam began to fight--not with each other, but--with the common enemy.

The battle raged for more than an hour, during which the foe, although
frequently routed, returned again and again to the charge. Their
courage and determination were tremendous. It cannot be said that Fred
and Sam were actually put to flight, but a regard for truth compels me
to state that they continued _fleaing_ the greater part of that morning,
and it was not until the sun was high in the heavens--pouring down a
flood of light into that wild glen--that they gained the victory, and
lay down to repose on their laurels and straw--not to mention the bodies
of the dead and dying!

They hoped now to be rewarded for their exertions with a few hours'
repose. Vain hope! Scarcely had they closed their eyes when the door
opened, and an old woman, with nose and chin of the nutcracker type,
entered the room. This was the grandmother of the family; she had come
to look at the strangers.

Grant's face, with the eyes shut and the mouth wide-open, was the first
object that met her view. She bent over him and looked into his mouth,
as if anxious to examine his teeth. Having looked him over, and felt
the quality of his clothes with her shrivelled fingers, she turned to
the beds and stared at the other strangers.

Fred had gone off into a sort of doze, so he bore the inspection well,
but Sam was only pretending to sleep, and when he peeped up at the old
face that looked down on his with kindly interest and curiosity, he
found it difficult to check a smile.

Having looked at them well, and touched everything belonging to them, to
see what it could be made of, the old woman moved quietly towards the
door. She shut it with a bang, however, and roused them up with a
start--excepting Grant, who slept through everything, and in spite of
everything.

They were just dropping off again when the old woman returned. She had
forgotten something, and was moving across the floor, when she
accidentally knocked over a bench, which upset a heavy stool. The crash
was followed by a scream of alarm, and once more the sleepers were
awakened--always excepti