ary
glimpse of a big hairy hand, from which the burning matches began to
fall, while the interior of the dark hut was lit up, showing the dog,
with eyes glistening and bared teeth, crouched to spring, and the two
young men kneeling, each with his weapon raised.

But they did not fire, feeling that it would be madness to trust to
hitting the unseen, for the hand was too small a target; and before they
could make up their minds what to do next, two shots were fired from
outside, and a cry rang out on the midnight air.

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR.

THE STRIKING OF ANOTHER MATCH.

The long-silent dog burst out into a hoarse bark once more, as the two
young men knelt there as if paralysed, and the tiny splints died out one
by one where they had fallen amongst the wood ashes, while from the roof
there was a horrible scrambling, struggling sound, hoarse cries, the
crunching of the frozen snow, followed by the scraping sound as of some
one sliding down the slope of the roof, and then a dull, heavy thud, a
groan or two, and finally complete silence.

"He has it," said Dallas hoarsely.

"Hush! Hark!" cried Abel.

For there was another shot, then another, and another, till quite a
dozen had rung out, each growing more and more distant; and as the young
men dashed to the door now and threw it open, they saw flashes of light
as other shots were fired. Then came shouting, voices calling to one
another.

"Some of the lads heard the firing at last, and come to our help," said
Dallas.

"Look out; there's some one coming back," whispered Abel.

"I hear him. Be ready, and if he's an enemy let him have it. Hah!
Bravo! Good dog! You're not so very bad, then."

For at the sound of the heavy footsteps coming at a trot over the
creaking snow Scruff uttered a fierce growl, began to bay and dashed out
into the darkness.

"He'll have him," said Dallas. "But come on; we mustn't leave it all to
him."

"Hullo there!" came in a cheery, familiar voice. "Good old dog!" and
Scruff's fierce bay changed to a whining yelp of pleasure, while
Tregelly's hearty cry of "Ahoy!" came.

"Ahoy! Ahoy!" was sent out joyfully in answer, and directly after the
big Cornishman came trotting up.

"Thank God, my sons," he cried. "But what about that chap on the roof?
Did I bring him down with those two shots?"

"Was it you that fired?" cried the young men in a breath.

"Of course. Who did you think it was?"

"The enemy--we did not know--so