“Kimmeroi—bulla—metancoly—plenty mutton.”
“Yes,” said Rifle, “and they’ll camp down there and eat all father’s sheep. Oh, if we could only drive them right away.”
“Shanter catch sheep fellow, eat mutton?”
“No, not yet,” said the captain, quietly; and very soon after, with Shanter and Sam German watching, the defenders of the little fort obeyed a call, and went in to enjoy a wonderfully good breakfast considering the position in which they were placed.
Then began a day of careful watching, during which, at Aunt Georgie’s desire, Shanter sought for eggs, drove up the two cows to the door to be milked, and assisted in bringing in more wood and water, displaying a wonderful eagerness in performing any duties connected with the preparation of food.
Many of the little things done looked risky, but the enemy made no sign, and the sun began to set with the house much strengthened as a fort, and better provisioned for a siege.
Rifle was sure, two or three times over, that the blacks must be gone, and said so, but Shanter shook his head.
“Black fellow plenty eat. Go sleep,” he said, on one occasion. On another, he cried cheerfully, “Black fellow baal go along. Mumkull all a body.” While lastly, he said coolly, “Black fellow ogle eye all a time.”
Then night—with the place closely barricaded, and the arrangement made that half of their little party should sleep while the other half watched, but the former had their weapons by their sides ready to spring up at the first alarm, the captain having arranged where each sleeper’s place was to be.
There was some opposition on the part of the ladies, but they yielded upon the captain telling them that the siege might last for days; and that not only would they be safer, but it would give their defenders confidence to know they were out of danger.