ge
and talking in this strain, for he was frightened half to death
himself, and he would have made all sorts of promises if he could
only have climbed down from that roof and sneaked off to bed without
being seen by anybody. Don did not show himself, although they called
his name as loudly as they dared, and neither did the hounds grow
tired and go away, as Lester hoped they would. They were much too
well trained for that. It not unfrequently happened while Don and
Bert were hunting 'coons and 'possums at night, that the game took
refuge in a tree much too large to be cut down in any reasonable
time by such choppers as they were. In that case Don would order the
hounds to watch the tree, and he and Bert would go home, knowing that
when daylight came they would find the dogs still on duty and the
game closely guarded. The animals seemed to be perfectly satisfied
when they found that Lester and Bob had taken refuge on the top of
the cabin. They walked around the building two or three times, as if
to make sure that there was no way of escape, and then laid down on
the ground and prepared to take matters very easily until their
master should come out to them in the morning. When Bob saw that,
he lost all heart.

"If we never were in a scrape before, we're in one now," said he. "We
may as well make up our minds to stay here all night."

"O, we can't do that," replied Lester, greatly alarmed. "Some one
will certainly see us."

"Of course they will. How can we help it?"

"I should never dare show my face in the settlement again, if this
night's work should become known," continued Lester, who was almost
ready to cry with vexation. "It would ruin me completely, and you,
too. Don and Bert would ask no better fun than to spread it all over,
and your chances of carrying the mail would be knocked higher than a
kite. Let's pull off some of these shingles and throw them at the
dogs. Perhaps we can drive them away."

"You don't know them as well as I do. They'll not drive worth a cent.
We're here, and here we must stay until somebody comes and calls them
away. We'll hail the first nigger we see in the morning, and perhaps
we can hire him to help us and keep his mouth shut."

This was poor consolation for Lester, but it was the best Bob had to
offer. Things turned out just as he said they would. They sat there
on the ridge pole for more than four hours, Lester racking his brain,
in the hope of conjuring up some plan for driving