"All right," murmured the Captain. "You go 'round with the lamp and open
the door. That 'll scare him, and I'll stand at the hole and thump him
when he comes out."

So, shielding the lamp with her apron, the guardian of Mrs. Mayo's
outraged Leghorns tiptoed around to the henhouse door, while Captain
Perez, brandishing the gun like a club, took up his stand by the hole at
the side.

Without the lamp the darkness was pitchy. The Captain, stooping down to
watch, saw something coming out of the hole--something that was alive
and moved. He swung the gun above his head, and, bringing it down with
all his might, knocked into eternal oblivion the little life remaining
in the finest Leghorn rooster.

"Consarn it!" yelled the executioner, stooping and laying his hand on
the victim, "I've killed a hen!"

Just then there came a scream from the other side of the henhouse,
followed by a crash and the sound of a fall. Running around the corner
the alarmed Perez saw his lady-love stretched upon the ground, groaning
dismally.

"Great land of Goshen!" he cried. "Pashy, are you hurt?"

"Oh, Perez!" gasped the fallen one. "Oh, Perez!"

This pitiful appeal had such an effect upon the Captain that he dropped
upon his knees and, raising Miss Davis' head in his hands, begged her to
say she wasn't killed. After some little time she obligingly complied,
and then, having regained her breath, explained the situation.

What had happened was this: The fox, having selected his victim the
rooster, had rendered it helpless, and was pushing it out of the hole
ahead of him. The Captain had struck the rooster just as Miss Patience
opened the door, and the fox, seizing this chance of escape, had dodged
by the lady, upsetting her as he went.

"Well," she said, laughing, "there's no great harm done. I'm sorry for
the rooster, but I guess the fox had fixed him anyway. Oh, my soul and
body! look there!"

Perez turned, looked as directed, and saw the henhouse in flames.

The lighted lamp, which Miss Patience had dropped as she fell, lay
broken on the floor, and the blazing oil had run in every direction. The
flames were making such headway that they both saw there was practically
no chance of saving the building. The frightened hens were huddled in
the furthest corner, gazing stupidly at the fire.

"Oh, those poor Leghorns!" wailed Miss Patience. "Those hens Mrs. Mayo
thought the world of, and left me to look out for. Last thing she asked
me was