he imperfect light, he retired gradually towards
the sentries, and aided them in their weary watch. At length, as
daylight was coming in, and affording a pretext for the fair occupants
of the front room, whose windows hailed the beams of the rising sun, to
leave their seclusion and mingle with the wakeful ones below, the sound
of wheels was heard coming along the road to the left. Hurriedly, the
detective became Mr. Chisholm, and joined the dominie at the gate. There
were three men in the waggon, and one of them was the Grinstun man, as
cheerful as ever. What was in the waggon could not be seen, as it was
covered over with buffalo robes and tarpaulin, but the detective could
have sworn he saw it move, and give forth a sound not unlike a groan.
Mr. Rawdon jumped down, telling a certain Jones of truculent countenance
to drive on, as he guessed he'd walk the rest of the way this fine
morning. The waggon drove off accordingly and at a rapid rate, while the
working geologist accosted the sentinels.

"Wy, wot's hup 'ere, gents? 'Ere you hare on guard yet, and Jones there
terls me 'ee 'eard shots fired has 'ee was comin' along slowly. I 'ope
there hain't no gang o' city burglars bin tryin' hany o' their larks on
the Squire. We don't want none o' that sort hout in rural parts."

The dominie and the detective declined to satisfy him, but the former
said:--

"I thought you had pressing business at Collingwood, Mr. Rawdon?"

"So I 'ad, and stand to lose two or three 'undred dollars by missin' the
mornin' train. But, wen I got quite a step on the road, all of a sudding
I remembers my hoffer to Miss Do Please-us, and 'er hanswer as was to be
hat the Post Hoffice before ten. So I turned back, hand, lucky for me,
fell in with Jones and 'is man takin' 'ome some things from town. But,
come! tell a man can't you? 'As there bin any burglary or hanythink, any
haccident, anybody 'urt? I've got an hour and more to spare, if I can be
of any 'elp."

"I don't think we need trouble you, Rawdon," said the false Chisholm.
"Your suspicions are correct so far, that an attempt has been made to
fire the Squire's house, but by whom is a mystery, for there is no man
more respected in the neighbourhood."

"Respected! I should say 'ee is. Fire 'is 'ouse! O Lor'! wot a bloomin'
shame! Really, I must go him, if it's honly for a hinstant to hexpress
my feelins of hindignation to the Carrutherses."

The Grinstun man entered the gate, which was just wha