stupidly about, utterly at a loss to discover where he
was. Then the cry came again--a horrible, screaming cry--and he sat
up, with his heart going nineteen to the dozen.

'Chippy!' he cried, 'are you awake? What was that?'

'I dunno,' said the Raven, sitting up too. 'But worn't it awful?'

The cry came again, and the two boys, their heads still heavy with
sleep, were filled with horror at its wild, wailing note.

'Sounds like some'dy bein' murdered,' gasped Chippy. 'An' the fire's
gone. Ain't it dark?'

The fire had gone down, and was now no more than a heap of smouldering
ashes. Heavy clouds had drawn across the sky, and the darkness under
the hanger was thick enough to cut with a knife. The two boys crouched
together side by side and quaked. This was pretty frightful, to be
roused in the dead dark time of the small hours by this horrible outcry.

Suddenly Dick jumped.

'Chippy!' he whispered breathlessly, '_there's someone about. I hear
them._'

Both boys listened with strained ears, and caught distinctly the sound
of light footfalls near at hand.

'_Theer's more'n one,_' gasped Chippy.

The gentle, creeping footfalls came nearer and nearer in the darkness.

'G-g-gimme the chopper!' whispered the Raven, and his voice was shaking.

'I--I--I've got it,' replied Dick; and his fingers were clenched with
the grasp of despair round the smooth handle of the tomahawk.

Chippy drew his jack-knife, opened it, and gripped it in his left hand
like a dagger. In his right he had seized his strong patrol staff.

A sharp puff of wind blew along the foot of the slope. It fanned the
embers of the dying fire, and a little flame ran up a twig, flickered
for a moment, then died as suddenly as it had leapt up. But the boys
were stiff with horror. It had shown them a strange dark form
crouching within three or four yards of the opposite side of the heap
of ashes.

'W-w-what is it?' said Dick.

'I--I--I dunno,' replied Chippy.

Another stronger puff of wind, and a little train of bright sparks shot
into the air. Now the boys saw two great gleaming eyes, low down,
within a foot of the ground, like some creature crouching to spring,
and again the awful wild cry rang out some little distance away.

'Oh--oh--Chippy!' gasped Dick, 'I'm j-j-jolly frightened.'

'S-s-same 'ere,' returned the Raven.

'So I'm going b-b-bang at it, whatever it is.'

'S-s-same 'ere,' muttered the Raven, with chattering jaws.

'