's here, sir," said a sleepy man lying close by.

"Wouldn't wake him, if he did," grumbled another.

The men's remarks suggested an idea which made Fred smile, as he went
down on one knee, placed his lips close to Samson's ear, and whispered--

"Well, I wouldn't let him meddle with my garden. Your brother Nat."

That one word, "Nat," seemed to run echoing through all the convolutions
of Samson Dee's brain, and he started up at once, full of eagerness and
thoroughly awakened, as if by a magic touch.

"Nat?" he said. "Who spoke of Nat? Here, where is he?"

"Are you awake?"

"Awake, sir? Yes, sir. I was dreaming about my brother Nat coming and
interfering with our garden. Beg pardon, Master Fred, but I was dead
asleep. Want me, sir? Your horse?"

"I want you to come with me."

"Yes, sir, of course," cried Samson, "Ready in a minute."

He was ready in less, for all the dressing he had to do consisted in
buckling on the sword, which hung from a knot in the beech-tree, and
sticking on his steel cap.

"Don't ask questions, Samson, but come along."

Fred led the way out of the camp and down by the lake, which he skirted
till he had passed round the extreme end, when, to Samson's
astonishment, Fred struck out straight for the wilderness.

"We going to surprise them up at the Hall, sir, and take it all by
ourselves?" Samson whispered at last, for he could contain himself no
longer.

"No; I am going to surprise you, Samson," was the reply, in a low
whisper, as they went on, their way lying between two lines of
sentinels, the outposts being posted further away, and those who hemmed
in the little garrison being run right up as near as possible to the
Hall, so as to guard against any sally or attempt at evasion.

"Nothing won't surprise me now," muttered Samson, as he tramped on
slowly behind his leader in a very ill humour, which he did not display,
for it was not pleasant for a heavy sleeper to be roused from his rest.
"But it don't matter. I'm about ready for anything now. Why, what's he
going to do up in the old wilderness? Oh, I know; after rabbits. Well,
that's better. A biled rabbit for dinner to-morrow, and a bit o' bacon,
will be like a blessing to a hungry man. Heigh--ho! ha--hum! how sleepy
I do feel."

"Hist!"

"Right, Master Fred."

"There are sentinels a hundred yards to the right, and a hundred yards
to the left," whispered Fred, in his companion's ear.

"Which as you haven't meas