our eyes.

Morgan was very silent and thoughtful till I spoke to him.

"What did my father mean about the red glare over at the settlement?"

"Hah!" he ejaculated, and he was again silent for a minute or two. Then
in a quick whisper, "I was just thinking about that, Master George, when
you spoke, and that it was the enemy we had to fear the most."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Fire, my lad, fire. I dare say that with our guns and swords we may
keep them off; but that's how they'll get the better of us."

"By fire?"

"Yes; they'll get something blazing up against the house, and the moment
it catches fire it's all over with us."

"What! Set fire to the house?"

"Yes, Master George, that's what your father's afraid of. No; I'm wrong
there. I was at the wars with him, and I never saw him afraid--not even
to-day. Takes a bold man to come out of his fort and go up to the enemy
as he did--twelve to one--expecting every moment a crack from a
tomahawk. He hasn't got any fear in him; but he thinks about the fire
all the same. Now then, don't talk, but keep a sharp look-out, or they
may steal on to us without our seeing them."

All this was said in a low whisper as we tried to keep a good look-out
from the little trellised dormers; and the minutes stole on and became
hours, with the darkness seeming to increase till about midnight. Then
all looked darker, when Morgan pressed my arm, and I gave, a violent
start.

"'Sleep, sir?"

"I? Asleep? No! Yes; I'm afraid I must have been," I said, feeling
the colour come burning into my face.

"Look yonder," he whispered.

I looked from the grating and saw that, all at once, as it appeared to
me, the tops of the trees were visible out to the east, and it grew
plainer and plainer as I watched.

"Moon's getting very old, Master George," whispered Morgan, "but yonder
she comes up."

"Then it will soon be light."

"No; but not so dark."

"Then the Indians won't come now?" I said eagerly.

"I don't know much about them, Master George, but from what I've heard
say from those who do, Indians always comes when they're not expected,
and if you're to be ready for them you must always be on the watch."

The overpowering sense of sleep which had made me lose consciousness for
a few minutes ceased to trouble me now, and I stood watching eagerly for
the time when the moon would rise above the trees, and send its light
across the clearing in front of the house. I w