Abel excitedly, "he must hear or feel in some way
that Tregelly is close here."

"He would not come on at this time of night."

"Why not? It's as dark most of the day as it is now. Let's open the
door and give a hail."

"No; listen," whispered Dallas. "He would do that."

"If he were within reach."

"He must be within reach for the dog to know," whispered Dallas. But as
he spoke he doubted his own opinion, for it seemed possible that a
half-wild dog's sensibilities might be sufficiently keen to feel the
coming of a friend.

"Here, what is it, old fellow?" he said softly. "Some one there?"

The dog whined and tore at the bar.

"It is as I say, Dal," said Abel excitedly. "Look at him. Here,
Scruff, old lad, what is it?"

The dog growled.

"That doesn't sound as if he scented a friend, Bel."

"He does, I tell you," cried Abel angrily; for he was prone to be
irritable as a result of his many sufferings. "Here, let's have the
door open at once."

It was as if the dog understood his words, for he dropped on all fours
and uttered a deep-toned bay.

"All right, Scruff, we'll let you go," cried Abel, and seizing the rough
bar, he was in the act of raising it from the notch in which it rested,
when _bang_--_bang_, two shots were fired just outside, and
simultaneously the door shook violently, there was a peculiar rending,
splintering sound in the rough boards, and Dallas's heart gave a
spasmodic leap, for he saw his cousin fall to the ground.

"Bel, lad! Hurt?" panted Dallas, stepping forward and dropping on one
knee by his cousin's side.

As he spoke there were two more shots, the bullets striking the door,
and one passing clean through with a whirring, humming sound, to strike
the wall on the other side, Dallas's position in all probability saving
his life, for the sound seemed to pass just over his head.

"Dal, old man! Hurt?" was Abel's answer.

"No, not touched. Why don't you answer? Were you hit?"

"No; I only ducked down, it seemed so near."

"Save your shot," said Dallas hoarsely. "When we fire it must be as a
last resource."

Abel nodded.

"Right," he said.

"Crawl to your own side. I'll take this. The bullets will not come
through the logs of the wall."

"I'm not so sure," said Abel softly; but he obeyed his cousin's order,
just as a couple more shots were fired through.

The next moment Dallas was stamping and kicking out the fire, with the
result that the interior of th