h your kind request. Being what I have
been, I must proceed without delay to the seat of the conflagration. I
have the honour, ma'am, of saluting you. Good night!"

So Maguffin quietly escaped from the stables, and rode rapidly towards
the fire, which shed its lurid light far over the clouded sky; and the
pensioner trudged after him on foot, with his official baton under his
arm, to make that conflagration acquainted with the law.

CHAPTER XIV.

Picnic Supper--Sentries--Sylvanus' Silence--Coristine and
Bigglethorpe Hear Sounds--Invaders Repelled--Fire and
Explosions--Victims Walled In--Water Retreat in the Rain--The
Constable Secures Mark Davis--Walk Home in the Rain--Bangs and
Matilda--Into Dry Clothes--Miss Carmichael's Mistake--A Reef in Mr.
Bangs--Ben has no Clothes--Three Young Gentlemen in a Bad Way.

Mr. Bangs had no fewer than eight men under his command, Bigglethorpe
and the two Richards at the water, and Coristine and the veteran, the
two Pilgrims and Rufus, up above. The latter tired themselves out, under
the detective's direction, looking for an opening in the ground, but
found none, nor anything that in the least resembled one. Some of the
searchers wondered why the chimney in Rawdon's house was so
unnecessarily large and strong, but no examination about its base
revealed any connection between it and an underground passage. The
detective, in conference with Mr. Terry and the lawyer, decided on four
sentries, namely one each at the house and the lake, as already set, one
at the road looking towards the entrance, and the other half way between
the lake and the house, to keep up the connection. Some bread and meat
and a pot of tea, with dishes, were sent down to the three men on the
shore by the hands of Timotheus, but they rejected the cold meat, having
already made a fire, and broiled the bass caught by Mr. Bigglethorpe.
They had a very jolly time, telling fish stories, till about eight
o'clock, and the fisherman of Beaver River was in wonderful spirits over
the discovery of a new fishing ground. If those lakes had only contained
brook trout he would move his store to the Lakes Settlement; as it was,
he thought of setting up a branch establishment, and getting a partner
to occupy the two places of business alternately with him. The Richards
boys were pleased to think that their new acquaintance was likely to be
a permanent one, and made Mr. Bigglethorpe many sincere