n the dark. See, too, if old Gunson
doesn't shoot at us if we go disturbing him in the night."

"He would not fire at us," I said, contemptuously.

"Oh, we are clever!" cried Esau. "How's he going to know it's us?"

"Well, we must risk it," I said.

"Oh, yes, we'll risk it. Way is to crawl up; then if they fire, they're
sure to miss."

That starting-time seemed as if it would never come. I had my evening
meal with Mr Raydon and Mr Dempster, Esau having his with his mother
at the Greys', but I hardly ate anything, for in spite of Mrs John's
pleasant smiles and words, the constraint seemed to have increased, and
I felt, unjustly enough perhaps, as if my presence was only tolerated on
account of my friends.

I got away as soon as I could, and as I waited for Esau to come, I began
now to think that I was not doing right. But I drove the thoughts away
in a reckless fashion. Esau would laugh at me, I thought, and, full of
determination now, I was glad when he came.

"Well," he said; "mean to go?"

"Mean to go? Of course!"

"'Cause they're going to be on the look-out pretty sharp, so Grey says,
and they've got orders to fire at any one strange."

"To fire?" I said, feeling rather startled.

"Yes; so if we get fired at when we go, and fired at when we get there,
it's bound to be a lively sort of a time."

I was silent.

"Well, what do you think of it now?" said Esau, as I did not speak.
"Going?"

"Do you want to hang back, Esau?" I said, huskily.

"No; I'll stick to you, o' course."

"Then we'll go as soon as we can."

"I thought you'd say so," he said. "You always was so fond of old
Gunson."

"Then you don't want to go?"

"Course I don't, now I've got mother here, safe. But if you're going,
I'm going, so how soon?"

It was already dark, and feeling if I waited much longer the hesitation
I suffered from might increase, I said excitedly--

"Now."

"All right then; let's get a little way further from the corner, make
straight for that look-out place, where Grey watched the chaps going,
and get over there."

"Yes," I said, thoughtfully; "we can get on the top of the big paling
and drop down from there. But I say, Esau," I whispered, "how are we to
climb back?"

"Dunno. Let's do one job first," he whispered back, philosophically.
"Now then, are you ready?"

"Yes," I said, desperately.

"Then down on your hands and knees, and let's creep like dogs. They
will not see us then."

It