unters closed in on
the settler's home.

The keen ears of the mother, still wide awake, caught the crunch of feet
on the gravel of the walk. With a heart pounding again in alarm she
raised her head and listened. From the other side of the house came the
rustle of leaves stirred by another swiftly approaching footstep. It
was so still she could hear her own heart beat again. There could be no
mistake about it this time.

She gripped her husband's arm:

"John!"

He moaned drowsily.

"John--John--"

"What's matter?" he murmured without lifting his head from the pillow.

"Get up quick!"

"What for?" he groaned.

"There's somebody around the house."

"Na."

"I tell you--yes!"

"Hit's the dawgs."

"I heard a man's step on the path, I tell you."

"Yer dreamin', ole woman--"

"I'm not, I tell ye."

"Go back to sleep."

The man settled again and breathed deeply.

The woman remained on her elbow, listening with every nerve strained in
agony.

Again she heard a step on the gravel. This time another footfall joined
the first. She gripped her husband's shoulders and shook him violently.

"John, John!" she whispered.

He had half roused himself this time, shocked into consciousness by her
trembling grip on his shoulders. But above all by the tremor in her
whispered call.

"What is it, Mahala?"

"For God's sake, get up quick and call the boys down outen the loft."

"No!" he growled.

"I tell you, there's somebody outside--"

They were both sitting on the edge of the bed now, speaking in whispers.

"You're dreamin', ole 'oman," he persisted.

"I heard 'em. There's more'n one. I heard some on the other side of the
house. I heard two in front. Call the boys down--"

"Don't wake the boys up fer nothin--"

"Is yer gun loaded?"

"No."

"Oh, my God."

"I ain't got no powder. I don't kill game in the springtime."

They both listened. All was still. They could hear the breathing of the
little girls in the trundle bed.

The crunch of feet suddenly came to the doorstep. The woman's hand
gripped her husband's arm in terror. He heard it now.

"That's funny," he mused.

"Call the boys!" the mother pleaded.

"_Wait_ till we find out what it is--"

A firm knock on the door echoed through the darkened room.

"God save us!" the woman breathed.

Doyle rose and quietly walked to the door.

"What is it?" he called in friendly tones.

"We're lost in the woods," a voice answered.

His wife had