thers guns with, for the entire lock,
ramrod, and at least four inches of the stock had been taken away,
leaving it a mere wreck of a gun.

"It's up there in the corner behind the wash-stand," said Toby, coming
out of the bed as quickly as if he had tumbled out, and alarmed at the
thought of burglars. "It hain't no good, Uncle Dan'l, for there's only
a little of it left."

"It will do as well for me as a better one," said Uncle Daniel, grimly.
"I don't want to shoot anybody, only to give them a severe fright, and
perhaps capture them."

"Then what'll you do with 'em?" asked Toby in a whisper, almost as much
alarmed by Uncle Daniel's savage way of speaking as by the thought of
the burglars.

"I don't know, Toby, boy--I don't know. The tramps do trouble me
greatly, an' I'd like to make an example of these; but I suppose they
must be hungry, or else they wouldn't try to get into the hen-house, I
guess if we catch one we'll give him a good breakfast, and try to
persuade him to go to work like an honest man."

Uncle Daniel's anger usually had some such peaceful ending, as Toby
knew; but he did look bloodthirsty as he stood there in his
shirt-sleeves, with one stocking on, and his night-cap covering one ear
and but a small portion of his head, while he handled the invalid gun
recklessly.

By the time he was ready to go in search of the supposed chicken-thief,
Aunt Olive, looking thoroughly frightened, came into the room with his
other stocking and his boots in her hand, insisting that he should put
them on before he ventured out.

It must have been a very tame burglar who would have continued at his
work after the lights had warned him that the inmates of the house were
aroused; but Toby did not think of that. He saw that Aunt Olive had
armed herself with the fire-shovel, that Uncle Daniel kept a firm hold
of the gun even while he was trying to put his boots on, and he was
frightened by the warlike preparations.

Toby put on his trousers and shoes as quickly as possible, and when
Uncle Daniel was ready to start, he stationed himself directly behind
Aunt Olive, a position which he thought would afford him a fair view of
what was going on, and at the same time be safe.

"Now be careful of that gun, Dan'l, an' don't go so far that they can
hurt you, for there's no telling what they will do if they find out you
mean to catch them," and Aunt Olive looked quite as badly frightened as
did Toby.

"There, there, Olive, d