cocked his shotgun. The sound of the hammer clicking
could be plainly heard, just as the boy intended it should; and there
was something terribly business-like and significant about it.

At any rate, Colonel Kracker reduced his pace another notch, as if in
answer to an unspoken challenge. He was not so brave inwardly as his
fierce outward appearance would seem to indicate.

His eyes were glued upon the figure of young Aleck, who stood beside
Thad, just a step to the rear, possibly. And apparently Kracker was
trying to throw all the force of his domineering character into that
glare. It was really enough to frighten one into fits, Thad thought;
but somehow it did not make him even tremble, because he believed
surface indications often told what was not true.

"Keep on giving him back look for look, Aleck!" was what Thad said in
a low tone, intended only for the ear of the boy they had rescued from
the cliff ledge.

"Oh! I ain't afraid of him now; he couldn't make me squirm when I was
all alone, and in his power; so it ain't likely I'm shivering, now
that I've got so many friends to back me up," answered the other, also
in a hoarse whisper.

"Good for you!" Thad sent back.

At the same time he coughed.

This had been arranged as a signal for the rest of those who carried
guns, to raise them to their shoulders. The action itself ought to
convince Kracker that he had reached the limit of the peace line; and
that if he persisted in advancing any further, he might expect
something to happen.

It worked splendidly. The big man came to an abrupt halt, and of
course so did Waffles, and Dickey Bird too. Thad did not think much of
the last mentioned; but the other fellow looked to be just such a sort
of "second fiddle" whom a man like Kracker would choose to assist him
in his schemes, that were so often evil.

And they were right on that imaginary line Thad had marked out, too;
had they persisted in advancing three more feet he meant to call out
sharply, and warn them to pull up.

Slowly Kracker elevated that fat right hand of his. Many a time, no
doubt it had given some poor wretch cause for trembling when he
pointed that finger at him. Just now, with those terrible eyes of his
glued upon Aleck, he made his forefinger move, once, twice, three
times, in a significant beckoning gesture.

Then he spoke, and his deep-toned voice was not unlike the rumble of
thunder at a time the lightning is darting among the heavy sto