satisfy him that they were bent upon a burglary--if not murder. Edward
followed them, so as to keep their forms indistinctly in sight, which
was as much as he could do at twenty yards' distance: fortunately the
wind was so high that they did not hear his footsteps, although he often
trod upon a rotten stick, which snapped as it broke in twain. As near
as Edward could guess, he had tracked them for about three miles, when
they stopped, and he perceived that they were examining their pistols,
which they took from their belts. They then went on again, and entered
a small plantation of oak-trees, of about forty years' growth--very
thick and very dark, with close underwood below. They followed each
other through a narrow path, until they came to a cleared place in the
middle of the plantation, in which there stood a low cottage, surrounded
with covert on every side, with the exception of some thirty yards of
land around it. All was still, and as dark as pitch; Edward remained
behind the trees, and when the two men again stopped, he was not six
feet from them. They consulted in a low tone, but the wind was so high
that he could not distinguish what they said. At last they advanced to
the cottage, and Edward, still keeping within the trees, shifted his
position so that he should be opposite the gable end of the cottage. He
observed one man to go up to the front door, while the other went round
to the door behind, as had been agreed. Edward threw open the pan of
the lock of the gun, and reprimed it, that he might be sure, and then
waited for what was to follow. He heard the man Will at the front door,
talking and asking for shelter in a plaintive but loud voice; and
shortly afterwards he perceived a light through the chinks of the
shutters--for Edward was continually altering his position to see what
was going on in the front and in the back. At one time he thought of
levelling his gun and killing one of the men at once; but he could not
make up his mind to do that, as a burglary, although intended, had not
yet been committed; so he remained passive until the attack was really
made, when he resolved that he would come to the rescue. After some
minutes of entreaty that they would open the door, the man in front
commenced thumping and beating against it, as if he would make them open
the door by force; but this was to attract the attention of those
within, and divert it from the attempts that the other was making to ge