had brought it in by
the West Lodge, and hidden it behind a clump of laurels. There he had
held a hoarse council of war. He had cast an appraising eye over Sime
the butler, Carfrae the chauffeur, and McGuffog the gamekeeper, and his
brows had lightened when he beheld Sir Archie with an armful of guns
and two big cartridge-magazines. But they had darkened again at the
first words of the leader of the reinforcements.

"Now for the Tower," Sir Archie had observed cheerfully. "We should be
a match for the three watchers, my lad, and it's time that poor devil
What's-his-name was relieved."

"A bonny-like plan that would be," said Dougal. "Man, ye would be
walkin' into the very trap they want. In an hour, or maybe two, the
rest will turn up from the sea and they'd have ye tight by the neck.
Na, na! It's time we're wantin', and the longer they think we're a' in
the auld Tower the better for us. What news o' the polis?"

He listened to Sir Archie's report with a gloomy face.

"Not afore the darkenin'? They'll be ower late--the polis are aye ower
late. It looks as if we had the job to do oursels. What's your notion?"

"God knows," said the baronet, whose eyes were on Saskia. "What's
yours?"

The deference conciliated Dougal. "There's just the one plan that's
worth a docken. There's five o' us here, and there's plenty weapons.
Besides there's five Die-Hards somewhere about, and though they've
never tried it afore they can be trusted to loose off a gun. My advice
is to hide at the Garplefoot and stop the boats landin'. We'd have the
tinklers on our flank, no doubt, but I'm not muckle feared o' them. It
wouldn't be easy for the boats to get in wi' this tearin' wind and us
firin' volleys from the shore."

Sir Archie stared at him with admiration. "You're a hearty young
fire-eater. But, Great Scott! we can't go pottin' at strangers before
we find out their business. This is a law-abidin' country, and we're
not entitled to start shootin' except in self-defence. You can wash
that plan out, for it ain't feasible."

Dougal spat cynically. "For all that it's the right strawtegy. Man, we
might sink the lot, and then turn and settle wi' Dobson, and all afore
the first polisman showed his neb. It would be a grand performance.
But I was feared ye wouldn't be for it.... Well, there's just the one
other thing to do. We must get inside the Hoose and put it in a state
of defence. Heritage has McCunn's pistol, and he'l