opez required no orders on this score. He knew what
Indians were, and had a perfect horror of them. Their friends at
Canterbury were also put upon their guard, as their estates were also
very much exposed. Three days passed over, and then the light iron
plates arrived for the door and window-shutters. Before they were nailed
on, large holes were cut in them for firing through, corresponding slits
being cut in the woodwork. When they were fastened in their places, all
felt that Mount Pleasant could defy any number of assailants.

Orders were given to Terence, that in case of the dogs giving the alarm
at night, the occupants of the hut were to retire at once to the house;
to which he replied characteristically:

'Sure, your honour, I suppose I may stop for a bit and pepper the
blackguards till they get close to me.'

'Not at all, Terence; you are to retire at once to the house. When we
are once all together, we shall be able to decide, according to the
number of the enemy, as to whether we shall sally out and pepper them,
or stand upon the defensive.'

And so, every one having received their instructions in case of
emergency, things went on pretty much as before.

CHAPTER X.

THE LOST CATTLE.

A fortnight passed without the slightest incident or alarm. The rules
which Mr. Hardy had laid down were strictly observed. The sheep and
cattle were carefully secured at night; two or three of the native dogs
were fastened up, down at the fold; one of the mastiffs was kept at the
men's hut, while the other's kennel was placed by the house; the
retrievers, as usual, sleeping in-doors. A flagstaff was erected upon
the lookout, with a red flag in readiness to be run up to summon those
who might be away on the plain, and a gun was kept loaded to call
attention to the signal. The boys, when they went out for their rides,
carried their carbines instead of their guns. The girls fulfilled the
duties of lookouts, going up every half-hour from daybreak to dusk; and
the call of 'Sister Anne, do you see horsemen?' was invariably answered
in the negative. One day, however, Mr. Hardy had ridden over to
Canterbury to arrange with his friends about hiring shearers from
Rosario for the united flocks. The boys and Terence were in the fields
ploughing, at a distance of half a mile from the house, when they were
startled by the sound of a gun. Looking round, they saw both the girls
standing upon the tower: Maud had just fired the gun,