wn the fence, which they must do to drive
them out; and while they are about it we shall not be idle, depend upon
it.'

The preparations were soon made, and it was agreed that Mr. Hardy and
Hubert should go the rounds alternately with Charley and Fitzgerald. As
a usual thing, the Indian attacks take place in the last hour or two of
darkness. Mr. Hardy thought, however, that an exception would be made in
the present case, in order that they might get as far as possible away
before any pursuit took place. The wives of the peons lay down to sleep
on the straw which had been thrown down for them. The men sat outside
the door, smoking their cigarettes and talking in low whispers. Mrs.
Hardy was in her room; Ethel kept her company, Maud dividing her time
between them and the top of the tower, where Mr. Hardy, Fitzgerald, and
the boys were assembled in the intervals between going their rounds.

At about ten o'clock there was a sharp bark from one of the dogs
fastened up by the fold, followed up by a general barking of all the
dogs on the establishment.

'There they are,' Mr. Hardy said. 'Charley, bring the mastiffs inside,
and order them, and the retrievers too, to be quiet. We do not want any
noise up here, to tell the Indians that we are on the watch. Now,
Fitzgerald, you go to the sentries behind the house, and I will go to
those in front, to tell them to fall back at once.'

This mission was, however, unnecessary, for the eight peons all arrived
in a minute or two, having fled from their posts at the first barking of
the dogs, and without obeying their orders to send round to each other
to give notice of their retreat.

Mr. Hardy was very angry with them, but they were in such abject fear of
the Indians that they paid little heed to their master's words, but went
and huddled themselves together upon the straw in the sitting-room,
remaining there without movement until all was over. Terence was now
recalled from the gate, which had been his post.

'Did you hear anything, Terence?'

'Sure, your honour, and I thought I heard a dull sound like a lot of
horses galloping in the distance. I should say that there were a great
many of them. It seemed to get a little louder, and then it stopped.'

'That was before the dogs began to bark, Terence?'

'About five minutes before, your honour.'

'Yes. I have no doubt that they all dismounted to make the attack on
foot. How quiet everything is!'

The general barking of the do