ars before to be a grouse and pheasant cover, and
fetching a compass of half a mile or more across the maize fields, came
in among the oaks and hickories of the manor grounds.

Still there was no sight nor sound of any enemy; no light of candles at
the house, or of camp-fires beneath the trees.

A little way within the grove, where the interlacing tree-tops made the
darkness like Egyptian night, Jennifer went on all fours to feel around
as if in search of something on the sward. Whereat I called softly to
know what he would be at.

He rose, muttering, half as to himself: "I thought I'd never be so far
out of reckoning." Then to me: "A few hours since, the Cherokees were
encamped just here. You are standing in the ashes of their fire."

"So?" said I. "Then they have gone?"

"Gone from this safely enough, to be sure. They have been gone some
hours; the cinders are cold and dew wet."

"So much the better," I would say, thinking only that now there would
be the fewer enemies to fight.

He clipt my arm suddenly, putting the value of an oath into his gripping
of it.

"Come awake, man; this is no time to be a-daze!" His whisper was a sharp
behest, with a shake of the gripped arm for emphasis. "If the Indians
are gone, it means that the powder train has come and gone, too."

"Well?" said I.

I was still thinking, with less than a clod's wit, that this would send
the baronet captain about his master's business, and so Margery would
have surcease of him for a time, at least. But Jennifer fetched me awake
with another whip-lash word or two.

"Jack! has the night's work gone to your head? If Falconnet has got his
marching orders you may be sure he's tried by hook or crook to play
'safe bind, safe find,' with Madge. By heaven! 'twas that she was afeard
of, and we are here too late! Come on!"

With that he faced about and ran; and forgetting to loose his grip on my
arm, took me with him till I broke away to have my sword hand free. So
running, we came presently to the open space before the house, and,
truly, it was well for us that the place was clean deserted; for by this
we had both forgot the very name of prudence.

Jennifer outran me to the door by half a length, and fell to hammering
fiercely on the panel with the pommel of his broadsword.

"Open! Mr. Stair; open!" he shouted, between the batterings; but it was
five full minutes before the fan-light overhead began to show some faint
glimmerings of a candle comin