down the hill for traces of the enemy.  While so doing, two pistol bullets flew past his head and compelled him to seek the cover of a tree trunk.  Finding he could do nothing in the imperfect light, he retired gradually towards the sentries, and aided them in their weary watch.  At length, as daylight was coming in, and affording a pretext for the fair occupants of the front room, whose windows hailed the beams of the rising sun, to leave their seclusion and mingle with the wakeful ones below, the sound of wheels was heard coming along the road to the left.  Hurriedly, the detective became Mr. Chisholm, and joined the dominie at the gate.  There were three men in the waggon, and one of them was the Grinstun man, as cheerful as ever.  What was in the waggon could not be seen, as it was covered over with buffalo robes and tarpaulin, but the detective could have sworn he saw it move, and give forth a sound not unlike a groan.  Mr. Rawdon jumped down, telling a certain Jones of truculent countenance to drive on, as he guessed he’d walk the rest of the way this fine morning.  The waggon drove off accordingly and at a rapid rate, while the working geologist accosted the sentinels.

“Wy, wot’s hup ’ere, gents?  ’Ere you hare on guard yet, and Jones there terls me ’ee ’eard shots fired has ‘ee was comin’ along slowly.  I ’ope there hain’t no gang o’ city burglars bin tryin’ hany o’ their larks on the Squire.  We don’t want none o’ that sort hout in rural parts.”

The dominie and the detective declined to satisfy him, but the former said:—­

“I thought you had pressing business at Collingwood, Mr. Rawdon?”

“So I ’ad, and stand to lose two or three ‘undred dollars by missin’ the mornin’ train.  But, wen I got quite a step on the road, all of a sudding I remembers my hoffer to Miss Do Please-us, and ’er hanswer as was to be hat the Post Hoffice before ten.  So I turned back, hand, lucky for me, fell in with Jones and ‘is man takin’ ’ome some things from town.  But, come! tell a man can’t you?  ’As there bin any burglary or hanythink, any haccident, anybody ’urt?  I’ve got an hour and more to spare, if I can be of any ’elp.”

“I don’t think we need trouble you, Rawdon,” said the false Chisholm.  “Your suspicions are correct so far, that an attempt has been made to fire the Squire’s house, but by whom is a mystery, for there is no man more respected in the neighbourhood.”

“Respected!  I should say ’ee is.  Fire ’is ‘ouse!  O Lor’! wot a bloomin’ shame!  Really, I must go him, if it’s honly for a hinstant to hexpress my feelins of hindignation to the Carrutherses.”

The Grinstun man entered the gate, which was just what the detective did not want.  However, he held it open for him, saying:  “You’ll find the Squire in his office talking to Nash, but I don’t suppose he’ll mind being interrupted for a minute.  Mrs. Carruthers is in the kitchen, and you’ll likely meet an old acquaintance of yours there, Mr. Perrowne of Tossorontio.”