an
at each door as sentry, and two more on vedette back and front. Not
much fear of that."

"But suppose they make a bolt, like the rabbits do in the forest," said
Waller.

"Bad for them if they did, sir," replied the sergeant, rather sternly.
"My men can shoot."

Waller whistled softly.

"Oh, ho!" he said; and he tapped the barrel of the sergeant's musket
with his knuckles. "Loaded?"

The man gave him a quiet nod.

"Go on, then; search away, and get it done. You have been in the
dining-room, I see."

The village constable, who had been listening, with his eyes starting
and ears seeming to project forward, here broke in, speaking in a husky,
oily voice.

"Big cellar, sergeant, all underneath the house, and iron gratings to
let in the light."

"What do you know about it?" cried Waller sharply. "Have you been
prying and peering in?"

"I am a-doin' of my duty, Master Waller Froy," said the man, swelling up
like a turkey-cock, which bird he seemed greatly to resemble as, having
found his voice, he began to show his importance, but with no other
effect than to make the soldiers grin, while one of them, who had walked
out past the sentry and picked up the cocked hat with the muzzle of his
musket, now presented it to him.

"Don't--don't do that!" cried the constable, starting back as if it were
something alive. "You should never point a gun at anyone when you
speak!"

"Didn't speak," said the soldier, grinning more widely.

"There, take your hat, constable," cried the sergeant, giving Waller a
comical cock of his eye. "Brown Bess never barks unless we touch the
trigger. Yes, sir, I have looked through the dining-room. Beautiful
old-fashioned room, too. Excuse me for saying so. No secret passages
there, I suppose?"

"No," said Waller; "not one. Come and look here, then, next. I'll take
you wherever you want to go. This is the drawing-room," and he threw
open the door of the handsome low-ceilinged, old panelled chamber, with
most of the furniture dating back so that it was nearly as old as the
house.

As he led the way into the room Waller winced, for Anthony Gusset was
putting on his cocked hat again; but as he caught the boy's furious look
he snatched it off.

"Look here, sergeant," said Waller quietly; "I'll take you all over the
house and answer any questions you like to put, or won't answer them,
just as I please, but you can do your duty without that fat, stupid,
village bumpkin?"

"