“That noise of trampling feet. Don’t you hear?”
I listened.
“Yes, it is as if some people were coming along from the beach.”
“What people should be coming along from the beach?” exclaimed my father in an excited manner.
“Or is it the murmur of the waves, father?” I said.
“No,” he whispered after listening; “there are people coming, and that was a sharp quick order. Run down to the cottages and warn the foreman. Follow out the regular orders. You know. If it is a false alarm it will not matter, for it will be exercise for getting the men together against real trouble.”
“Right, father,” I said, and I was just about to run off to give the alarm to the foreman, who would alarm another man while I went to a fresh house. Then there would be four of us to alarm four more, who would run up to the rendezvous while we alarmed four more, and so the gathering would be complete, and the men at the counting-house and armed in a very few minutes.
I say I was just about to rush off, when a dark figure made a rush at us, and caught hold of my father’s arm.
“Quick, captain!” he whispered. “The French. Landed from a big sloop. Coming up the Gap.”
“Are you sure?” said my father in a low voice.