stillness I arose and glided out of the house like
a phantom bent on an evil errand; like a phantom. I flitted through the
silent street, hardly drawing breath until I knelt down beside the fence
at the appointed place.

Pausing a moment for my heart to stop thumping, I lighted the match
and shielded it with both hands until it was well under way, and then
dropped the blazing splinter on the slender thread of gunpowder.

A noiseless flash instantly followed, and all was dark again. I peeped
through the crevice in the fence, and saw the main fuse spitting out
sparks like a conjurer. Assured that the train had not failed, I took
to my heels, fearful lest the fuse might burn more rapidly than we
calculated, and cause an explosion before I could get home. This,
luckily, did not happen. There's a special Providence that watches over
idiots, drunken men, and boys.

I dodged the ceremony of undressing by plunging into bed, jacket, boots,
and all. I am not sure I took off my cap; but I know that I had hardly
pulled the coverlid over me, when "BOOM!" sounded the first gun of
Bailey's Battery.

I lay as still as a mouse. In less than two minutes there was another
burst of thunder, and then another. The third gun was a tremendous
fellow and fairly shook the house.

The town was waking up. Windows were thrown open here and there and
people called to each other across the streets asking what that firing
was for.

"BOOM!" went gun number four.

I sprung out of bed and tore off my jacket, for I heard the Captain
feeling his way along the wall to my chamber. I was half undressed by
the time he found the knob of the door.

"I say, sir," I cried, "do you hear those guns?"

"Not being deaf, I do," said the Captain, a little tartly--any reflection
on his hearing always nettled him; "but what on earth they are for I
can't conceive. You had better get up and dress yourself."

"I'm nearly dressed, sir."

"BOOM! BOOM!"--two of the guns had gone off together.

The door of Miss Abigail's bedroom opened hastily, and that pink of
maidenly propriety stepped out into the hail in her night-gown--the only
indecorous thing I ever knew her to do. She held a lighted candle in her
hand and looked like a very aged Lady Macbeth.

"O Dan'el, this is dreadful! What do you suppose it means?"

"I really can't suppose," said the Captain, rubbing his ear; "but I
guess it's over now."

"BOOM!" said Bailey's Battery.

Rivermouth was wide awake