“Who’s that?” demanded the herdsman, who had opened the door; and Ned saw his revolver glisten in the moonlight, as the weapon was raised and pointed straight at his head.
“Don’t shoot!” he cried, quickly.
“Wal, I’ll be dog-goned!” exclaimed the herdsman. “Where have you two been? We have been looking all over the house for you, and we began to believe that the raiders had carried you off with them!”
Ned said just enough in reply to excite the man’s astonishment, but not enough to explain what had happened, and made his way toward his father’s room, still followed by the cook. The latter seemed to say by his actions, that he intended to hear all Ned had to tell his father, and that if the boy knew when he was well off, he wouldn’t tell too much. Ned perfectly understood this silent threat, and during the interview with his father, whom he found in his office, almost prostrated by excitement and fear, was careful to say nothing at which Philip could take offence. He said that, being unable to sleep, he had gone out into the shed and stayed there, with his horse for company; that the raiders had appeared so suddenly that he could not reach the house without running the risk of being captured or shot by them; that his horse had called to them, and that he had been obliged to turn the animal loose, for fear that he would lead the raiders to his place of concealment; and that he had lain there in the manger, an unwilling witness to the first (and he sincerely hoped it would be the last) fight he had ever seen carried on with firearms.
“I can’t begin to tell you what a time I had out there!” said he, in conclusion. “I never had bullets come so close to me before!”
“Probably not,” said his father. “Where were you all the while, Philip?”
“I was under the porch, sir,” was the answer; and Ned, who would have been glad to expose the villain then and there, did not contradict the statement. “I didn’t have time to get into the house, so I concealed myself.”
“I could not imagine how that door came to be open,” said Uncle John, with something like a sigh of relief, “for I took particular pains to lock and bolt it myself. I was almost afraid that there was a traitor among us, and some of the herdsmen thought so, too; but this explains everything to my satisfaction. Philip went out after I locked the door, and before he came back the raiders arrived, found the door open and thought they would walk in and surprise us. But Jake surprised them, I guess! He happened to be awake, and that was all that saved us.”
“Was there anybody hurt?” asked Ned.
“Not on our side, I am glad to say. We escaped without the least damage.”