e watch with the
dogs, waiting for the coming of the robbers, or for the coming of the
party which he expected would be sent by the Intendant to take them.
Just as it was dark Pablo returned with a note from Edward saying that
he would be over by ten o'clock, with a large party.

Humphrey had said in his letter that it would be better that any force
sent by the Intendant should not arrive till after dark, as the robbers
might be near and perceive them, and then they might escape; he did not
therefore expect them to come till some time after dark. Humphrey was
reading a book--Pablo was dozing in the chimney-corner--the two girls
had retired into their room and had lain down on the bed in their
clothes--when the dogs both gave a low growl.

"Somebody come," said Pablo, starting up.

Again the dogs growled, and Humphrey made a sign to Pablo to hold his
tongue. A short time of anxious silence succeeded, for it was
impossible to ascertain whether the parties were friends or enemies.
The dogs now sprang up and barked furiously at the door, and as soon as
Humphrey had silenced them, a voice was heard outside, begging for
admission to a poor benighted traveller. This was sufficient: it could
not be the party from the Intendant's, but the robbers who wished to
induce them to open the door. Pablo put a gun into Humphrey's hand, and
took another for himself; he then removed the light into the chimney,
and on the application from outside being repeated, Humphrey answered--

"That he never opened the door at that hour of the night, and that it
was useless their remaining."

No answer or repetition of the request was made, but, as Humphrey
retreated with Pablo into the fireplace, a gun was fired into the lock
of the door, which was blown off into the room, and had it not been for
the barricades the door must have flown open. The robbers appeared
surprised at such not being the case, and one of them inserted his arm
into the hole made in the door to ascertain what might be the further
obstacle to open it, when Pablo slipped past Humphrey, and gaining the
door, discharged his gun under the arm which had been thrust into the
hole in the door. The person, whoever it might have been, gave a loud
cry, and fell at the threshold outside.

"I think that will do," said Humphrey; "we must not take more life than
is necessary. I had rather that you had fired through his arm--it would
have disabled him, and that would have sufficed."