I listened, and said that I did not hear anything.
“I did,” said Uncle Jack. “It was the tap made by a ladder that has been reared against a house.”
I made the light play against the top of the wall and along it from end to end.
Then Uncle Jack took it and examined the top, but nothing was visible and saying it was fancy he handed the lantern to me, when all at once there was a double thud as of two people leaping down from the wall; and as I turned the light in the direction from which the sounds came there was our squinting enemy, and directly behind him a great rough fellow, both armed with sticks and charging down upon us where we stood.
I heard my uncles draw a long breath as if preparing for the fight. Then they let their sticks fall to their sides, and a simultaneous roar of laughter burst forth.
It did not take a minute, and the various little changes followed each other so quickly that I was confused and puzzled.
One moment I felt a curious shrinking as I saw the faces of two savage men rushing at us to drive us out of the place; the next I was looking at their backs as they ran along the yard.
For no sooner did Piter see them than he made a dash at their legs, growling like some fierce wild beast, and showing his teeth to such good effect that the men ran from him blindly yelling one to the other; and the next thing I heard was a couple of splashes in the dam.
“Why, they’re trying to swim across,” cried Uncle Dick; and we at once ran to the end of the yard to where it was bounded by the stone-bordered dam.
“Show the light, Cob,” cried Uncle Jack; and as I made it play upon the water there was one man swimming steadily for the other side, with Piter standing at the edge baying him furiously, but the other man was not visible.