the door. Nash was at the gate to report
that he had seen small parties and single individuals, some distance off
the road on both sides of the house, whose actions were more than
suspicious. Had they carried firearms larger than pistols he would have
been sure to detect the gleam of steel. He was sorry now he had drawn
the fire of the waggon on himself, and thus given the miscreants to
understand that their plot was known. Still, they were at it, and meant
mischief. As he could do no further good patrolling the road, he would
put up his horse, and help the Squire to guard the house and
outbuildings. Hardly was his horse in the stable, and himself in the
guard-room, than Mr. Errol's voice, and then the dominie's, were heard
challenging loudly. The Squire flew to the minister, and Nash to
Wilkinson. A stout but elastic figure, so far as the step went, was
coming along the road from the right, whistling "The Girl I left behind
Me." As it came near, the whistling stopped, and Rawdon, with knapsack
on back and staff in hand, appeared before the astonished eyes of the
sentinels. He started at the sight of the minister's carbine. "Wy, Mr.
Herl," he said, "wot the dooce are you a doin' of at this time o' night?
Are you lookin' for night 'awks or howls hafter the chickins, or did you
think I was a wistlin' bear. And you too, Squire! I thought the Hinjins
was all killed bout. Blowed if there haint hold Favosites Wilkinsonia,
and a man as looks like Chisholm! Are you campin' out, 'avin' summer
midnight manoovers for the fun o' the thing?"

Nash went back to the house. "If it's a fair question, Mr. Rawdon," said
the Squire, "where are you going at this time of night?"

"Fair enough, Squire; I'm bound for Collinwood to ketch the mornin'
train. Bye, bye! no time to lose." Off trudged the Grinstun man, once
more whistling, but this time his tune was "It's no use a knockin' at
the door."

The Squire, the detective, and the lawyer held a council of war.

"Pity we hadn't arrested that chap," remarked Mr. Nash.

"Couldn't do it," said Coristine; "there is no warrant for his arrest,
no definite charge against him. A justice of the peace can't issue one
on mere suspicion, nor can he institute martial law, which would of
course cover the case."

"If what Maister Nash has seen be as he thinks," added the Squire, "it's
as weel we laid nae han' on him, for it would just hae preceepitated
metters, and hae brocht the haill o' thae Lake Se